Community Profile

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community has approximately 8,700 Community members as of 2009.  The Community was established for the Au-Autum (Pima) and Piipaash (Maricopa) people on June 14, 1879 by Executive Order of President Rutherford B. Hayes.  While each tribe maintains its own language and culture, the two tribes have voluntarily lived together for centuries.

Not long ago the Community was considered rural, but today the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is uniquely positioned in one of the most desirable geographic regions of the Southwest.  It is served by major freeways, Interstate 10, Interstate 17, and the Red Mount Freeway Loop 202 and the Pima Freeway Loop 101, both of which border the Community.  Beeline Highway 87 crosses the Community from south to east.  It is a recognized leader in Indian Country for its innovative approach to creating enterprises that support the Community. 

Government

The government consists of a Community Council comprised of the President, Vice-President and 7 Council members.  Candidates run independently for the office of President and Vice President. Both the President and Vice President are elected to a four-year term.

Council members run as district representatives from either Salt River or Lehi districts. Council members are elected for staggered 4 year terms.

Community President Diane Enos, Vice-President Martin Harvier and Community Manager Bryan Meyers oversee the management of the comprehensive government development, operations and services including: economic development, planning and engineering, education, employment and training, finance, fire, health and human services, housing, human resources, judicial center, police, public works and recreation.

As a Native Community, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is entitled to Sovereign Immunity. Sovereignty means self-governance. Although legally grounded in law, it is subject to Congressional limitation and therefore does not always result in tribal control or self-determination. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is the only Indian community to have relinquished this right in selected instances and agreed, instead, to binding arbitration.

Land

The Community consists of 52,600 acres and maintains 19,000 acres as a natural preserve. Approximately 12,000 acres are under cultivation in a variety of crops including cotton, melons, potatoes, onions and carrots. The land reserved for commercial and industrial development includes the Pima Freeway (Loop 101) corridor and areas designated along Shea Boulevard, Hayden, McKellips, and McDowell roads, and State Route 87.

Water

Water resources available to the Community for farming and economic development include ground water, Salt River flows, Salt River Project Canal water, and 13,000 acre feet of Central Arizona Project water.

Taxes

Individual members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community pay income taxes and other federal taxes. Because the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is a sovereign government, the State of Arizona has no authority to tax Indian lands and Indian-owned property on reservations. Incomes of Indians residing on reservations are not taxed by the State if wholly derived from reservation sources. Indians are exempt from state and local sales taxes on consumer goods purchased on the reservation, unless such taxes are imposed by the tribal government.

The State of Arizona does collect taxes from reservation residents on sales of gasoline, electricity, natural gas and telephone service. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community tax ordinances contain a Transaction Privilege Tax and Tobacco Tax.   Transaction Privilege Tax current rates are 1.65% for non-Community member owned businesses and 7.95% for Community member owned businesses. Any questions can be directed to the Community's Office of the Treasurer - Tax Department at 480-362-7678.

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