Title 11 — Counties

The state is divided into counties, named and bounded as provided in this article.

In the statement of the boundaries in this article: 1. "To," "on" or "along" a mountain range or mountains means the summit point or summit line of the mountain range of mountains. 2. "Up" or "down" a creek or river means the middle of the main channel thereof. 3. "Mouth" of a cr…

Apache county, the county seat of which is St. Johns, is bounded as follows: Commencing at a point where the boundary line between Arizona and New Mexico intersects the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude, being the northeast corner of this state, and being more particularl…

Cochise county, the county seat of which is Bisbee, is bounded as follows: Commencing at a point six miles south of where the east line of range eighteen east intersects the second standard parallel south, thence running south to a point on the south boundary line of the San Igna…

Coconino county, the county seat of which is Flagstaff, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point where the boundary line between Utah and Arizona, being approximately the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude and the meridian of one hundred ten degrees forty-five minute…

Gila county, the county seat of which is Globe, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point where the Mazatzal range of mountains intersects the centerline of the Salt river; thence up the Salt river to the mouth of Tonto creek; thence in a direct line to a mountain known as t…

Graham county, the county seat of which is Safford, is bounded as follows: Commencing at a point on the east line of range eighteen east, six miles south of the intersection of such line with the second standard parallel south, being the northwest corner of Cochise county; thence…

Greenlee county, the county seat of which is Clifton, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point of intersection of the first standard parallel north, Gila and Salt River Guide meridian, with the east boundary of Arizona; which point is the southeast corner of Apache county; …

Maricopa county, the county seat of which is Phoenix, is bounded as follows: Commencing at a point where the meridian line one hundred thirteen degrees twenty minutes west longitude, as defined by the Atwood survey of 1918, intersects the second standard parallel south, being the…

Mohave county, the county seat of which is Kingman, is bounded as follows: Commencing at a point on the boundary line between Utah and Arizona, being approximately the thirty-seventh parallel north latitude where such boundary line intersects Kanab creek, being the northwest corn…

Navajo county, the county seat of which is Holbrook, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of Coconino county; thence east following the Utah and Arizona boundary to the one hundred tenth degree of west longitude; thence south to the former southwest corner of…

Pima county, the county seat of which is Tucson, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point where the meridian line one hundred thirteen degrees twenty minutes west longitude, as defined by the Atwood survey of 1918, intersects the second standard parallel south, being the so…

Pinal county, the county seat of which is Florence, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point where the eastern line of range one east intersects the second standard parallel south, being the southeast corner of Maricopa county; thence east on such parallel to the point wher…

Santa Cruz county, the county seat of which is Nogales, is bounded as follows: Commencing on the international boundary line between the United States and the Republic of Mexico, at the point where the eastern line of range eighteen east of the Gila and Salt River Guide meridian …

Yavapai county, the county seat of which is Prescott, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point where the thirty-fourth parallel of north latitude, as defined by the Thompson survey of 1924, and the summit of the Mazatzal mountains intersect; thence northerly along the summi…

Yuma county, the county seat of which is Yuma, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point where a meridian line one hundred thirteen degrees twenty minutes west longitude, as defined by the Atwood survey of 1918, intersects the southern boundary line of the state of Arizona, …

La Paz county, the county seat of which is Parker, is bounded as follows: Commencing at the point where the meridian line one hundred thirteen degrees twenty minutes west longitude, as defined by the Mohave-Yavapai county boundary survey of 1908 and the Atwood survey of 1918, int…

When a dispute arises between two counties respecting the location of the boundary line between such counties, or when the boundary line between two counties is so indefinite as to make it impossible to determine where the county line is, and a portion of territory by reason of t…

At any time before the final hearing of the action, the court may order a survey to be made of the disputed boundary line by the state engineer or by such other surveyor as it designates, and it may direct maps and drawings of the survey to be made, the expense to be borne by the…

The judgment of the court shall define and designate the true boundary between the two counties, and shall direct that it be marked in such manner as the court deems proper, and the cost of the marking shall be borne by the two counties equally, or in such proportions as the cour…

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires: 1. "Affected county" means each existing county affected by a proposed formation of new counties. 2. "Assessed valuation" means the net assessed valuation used for purposes of levying primary property taxes for the tax year …

A. Counties may be formed or divided either by legislative enactment, by statewide initiative pursuant to article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, or by county initiative pursuant to this article. The requirements of this article, however, do not apply to counties …

A. The division or formation of counties pursuant to this article shall be initiated by petition. The petition shall be addressed to the secretary of state and shall contain: 1. The name and address of the person or organization proposing the formation of new counties. 2. The nam…

A. Before circulating a petition for the formation of new counties, the proponents shall file a notice of intention to do so with the secretary of state who shall transmit a copy to the clerk of the board of supervisors of each affected county. The notice shall include a written …

A. Completed petitions shall be filed with the secretary of state. All copies and counterparts of the petition shall be filed at the same time. B. The secretary of state shall not accept the petition unless the signatures have been obtained and the petition is submitted for filin…

A. Within fifteen days of receipt of certification of the petition pursuant to section 11-135, subsection D, the governor shall appoint a county formation commission of three members, none of whom may reside in an affected county and no more than two of whom may be members of the…

A. The secretary of state shall call a special election in the affected county or counties for the approval or disapproval of the proposed new county or counties. The election shall be held on the eighth Tuesday following the issuance of the commission's report under section 11-1…

A political action committee, as defined in section 16-901, promoting or opposing the formation of new counties under this article shall register with and report to the secretary of state and otherwise comply with the requirements of title 16, chapter 6 regarding the election und…

If the formation of new counties is approved by an election pursuant to section 11-137, the attorney general shall immediately initiate proceedings to determine compliance with applicable federal laws. The commission, with the concurrence of the attorney general, may correct mino…

A. County officers of new counties, except clerk of the superior court, shall be nominated and elected at the next regular primary election and general election at which the president of the United States is elected following the election on formation. County officers shall not b…

A. The new county in which the county seat of an affected county is located shall retain the name of the affected county. The county seat of an affected county shall continue as the county seat of the new county in which it is located. If no county seat is located in a new county…

A. A new county approved pursuant to this article is officially organized and exists and the affected county or counties are officially terminated from and after December 31 following the election of county officers pursuant to section 11-140. The affected county or counties shal…

A. After the new county or counties are organized a special district governed by a distribution board is established consisting of the territory of the formerly existing affected county or counties. The function of the distribution board is to determine and accomplish the divisio…

A. After the formation of new counties is approved pursuant to the election held under section 11-137 the commission shall act to resolve disagreements involving terminating and transferring the affairs of the affected county or counties, community college, school districts and s…

A. All costs of the secretary of state and of the commission under this article are charges against the affected county or counties before their termination and against the new counties after their organization. Costs which can be identified with a specific county shall be charge…

When a petition, signed by qualified electors of a county equal in number to at least thirty-three and one-third per cent of all the votes cast within the county for governor in the last preceding general election, is filed with the board of supervisors praying for a change of th…

When the petition is filed, the board shall fix a time for a public hearing upon the petition and the clerk shall give notice thereof by publication in such newspapers published in the county as designated by the board, not exceeding three, at least once in each week for two week…

At the time specified in the notice, the board shall meet and inquire into and determine the sufficiency of the petition and the validity of the signatures thereto. If the petition is found sufficient and signed by the required number the board shall make an order directing that …

The ballot shall submit the question: "Shall the county seat be changed," "yes" followed by a square and "no" followed by a square, and shall also submit the place or places to which the county seat is proposed to be moved, with a square following each place entitled to be printe…

The name of a city or town in the county shall be printed upon the ballot if there has been filed at least twenty days before the election a petition signed by qualified electors of the county equal in number to at least five per cent of the total number of votes cast within the …

The board shall meet on the second Monday after the special election, or at the time fixed by law after a general election, and canvass the votes upon the questions. If sixty per cent or more of the votes cast upon the question favor the change, and if a city or town has received…

If the votes cast favored the change, but no city or town received a majority vote, the board shall thereupon enter an order directing a special election to be held for the purpose of determining the location of the county seat, which shall be held not less than thirty nor more t…

When a county seat has been changed as provided by this article, no election shall be held for a further change for twelve years thereafter. When at the election the proposal for a change of the county seat fails, no subsequent election for a change of the county seat may be held…

A. The powers of a county shall be exercised only by the board of supervisors or by agents and officers acting under its authority and authority of law. It has the power to: 1. Sue and be sued. 2. Purchase and hold lands within its limits. 3. Make such contracts and purchase and …

A. Each county is a body politic and corporate, possessing all the powers expressly provided in the constitution or laws of this state and such powers as are necessarily implied therefrom. B. The name of the county designated in article 1, chapter 1 of this title is its corporate…

A. There shall be in each county having a population of one hundred seventy-five thousand or more persons a board of supervisors consisting of five members who shall be qualified electors of their supervisorial district, and who shall be elected at a general election at which the…

The board of supervisors shall meet at the county seat on or before December 1 following the release of the United States decennial census data and divide the county into three or five supervisorial districts as provided in this article, which shall be numbered, respectively, dis…

A. At the general election for state and county officers, one supervisor shall be elected from each district from among those nominated at the preceding primary election. They shall be nominated and elected by the qualified electors of their respective districts. If a supervisor …

Regular meetings of the board shall be held in the county on a working day or days of each month designated by the board. The board shall notify the public of the location and the day or days designated. Special meetings may be called by a majority of the board, or by the chairma…

A. The board of supervisors shall establish a duty station for each board member at an appropriate location in the county. For purposes of this subsection, "duty station" means the place where the board member spends the largest portion of the board member's regular workday or wo…