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Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tucson voters weigh half-cent sales tax hike for public safety, community programs
It's election day in Tucson and voters are set to weigh in on a half-cent sales tax increase that would raise some $800 million over 10 years to fund public safety and community investment. Polls opened a 6 a.m. and are set to close at 7 p.m. in the all-mail special election. As of Monday, roughly 72,000 of the 305,000 ballots had already been returned. Proposition 414, the Safe & Vibrant City ballot measure asked Tucsonans to vote on raising the city's sales tax from 2.6% to 3.1%. City officials tout the measure as an effort to fund critical services following a statewide change in income tax policy that decreased the money the city receives from the state. Of the annual revenue projected to be brought in by the tax: $52 million would go toward police and fire departments $14 million would go to affordable housing programs, shelters, and courts $13.4 million would go to community and justice-related programs Critics argued that with roughly two-thirds of the tax dollars going to public safety instead of housing and community investment, the allocations of tax dollars do not reflect the values of Tucsonans. Supporters said the $800 million over ten years would help pay for critical services like housing, police and fire, which have become more expensive to run. One supporter of the measure is former state Sen. Kristen Engel. The Tucson Democrat lost against U.S Congressman Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., in the 6th congressional district race in November. 'Folks, we need to get off the fence and face the reality that passing Prop. 414 is necessary if we want the level of police, fire and shelter services we expect and which will maintain our reputation as a top destination to live, work, retire and recreate,' Engel posted on X. Critics argued that with roughly two-thirds of the tax dollars going to public safety, instead of housing and community investment, the allocations of tax dollars do not reflect the values of Tucsonans. The Southern Arizona Leadership Council, a coalition of business leaders and executives, opposed the measure. Although the group said it supports properly funding public safety, it underscored the concern that the measure 'perpetuates the structural budget challenges that have left our chartered priorities underfunded," the group said in a press release. Interest groups spent over $300,000 on campaign in support of and against Proposition 414, according to filings with Tucson and the Arizona Secretary of State. Yes on Prop 414: Safe and Vibrant City, a group backing the measure, reported spending $151,351 from Jan. 1 to Feb. 22. Among the large contributions to Yes on Prop 414 was a $10,000 boost from Fletcher McCusker, the CEO of UAVenture Capital and the chair of Rio Nuevo, a special taxing district focused on urban development. Other contributors included city Councilmember Kevin Dahl and Tucson Electric Power executive Cynthia Garcia, among others., The Tucson Metro Chamber PAC which opposed the measure, spent $179,970 on ballot measure expenditures including yard signs, attorney fees, fliers, social media management, and ads, among other expenditures. Some contributors included the Tucson Association of Realtors which contributed $25,000 and the Pima County Automobile Dealers Association which contributed $50,000. Reach the reporter at The Republic's coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Proposition 414: Tucson voters weigh fate of half-cent sales tax hike
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tucson voters weigh half-cent sale tax hike for public safety, community programs
It's election day in Tucson and voters are set to weigh in on a half-cent sales tax increase that would raise some $800 million over 10 years to fund public safety and community investment. Polls opened a 6 a.m. and are set to close at 7 p.m. in the all-mail special election. As of Monday, roughly 72,000 of the 305,000 ballots had already been returned. Proposition 414, the Safe & Vibrant City ballot measure asked Tucsonans to vote on raising the city's sales tax from 2.6% to 3.1%. City officials tout the measure as an effort to fund critical services following a statewide change in income tax policy that decreased the money the city receives from the state. Of the annual revenue projected to be brought in by the tax: $52 million would go toward police and fire departments $14 million would go to affordable housing programs, shelters, and courts $13.4 million would go to community and justice-related programs Critics argued that with roughly two-thirds of the tax dollars going to public safety instead of housing and community investment, the allocations of tax dollars do not reflect the values of Tucsonans. Supporters said say the $800 million over ten years would help pay for critical services like housing, police and fire, which have become more expensive to run. One supporter of the measure is former state Sen. Kristen Engel. The Tucson Democrat lost against U.S Congressman Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., in the 6th congressional district race in November. 'Folks, we need to get off the fence and face the reality that passing Prop. 414 is necessary if we want the level of police, fire and shelter services we expect and which will maintain our reputation as a top destination to live, work, retire and recreate,' Engel posted on X. Critics argued that with roughly two-thirds of the tax dollars going to public safety, instead of housing and community investment, the allocations of tax dollars do not reflect the values of Tucsonans. The Southern Arizona Leadership Council, a coalition of business leaders and executives, opposed the measure. Although the group said it supports properly funding public safety, it underscored the concern that the measure 'perpetuates the structural budget challenges that have left our chartered priorities underfunded," the group said in a press release. Interest groups spent over $300,000 on campaign in support of and against Proposition 414, according to filings with the Tucson and the Arizona Secretary of State. Yes on Prop 414: Safe and Vibrant City, a group backing the measure, reported spending $151,351 from Jan. 1 to Feb. 22. Among the large contributions to Yes on Prop 414 was a $10,000 boost from Fletcher McCusker, the CEO of UAVenture Capital and the chair of Rio Nuevo, a special taxing district focused on urban development. Other contributors included city Councilmember Kevin Dahl and Tucson Electric Power executive Cynthia Garcia, among others. The Tucson Metro Chamber PAC which opposed the measure, spent $179,970 on ballot measure expenditures including yard signs, attorney fees, fliers, social media management, and ads, among other expenditures. Some contributors included the Tucson Association of Realtors which contributed $25,000 and the Pima County Automobile Dealers Association which contributed $50,000. Reach the reporter at The Republic's coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Proposition 414: Tucson voters weigh fate of half-cent sale tax hike
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Group plans protest at Tucson Electric after utilities propose new nuclear plant
With a new nuclear reactor in Arizona now a possibility, a grassroots group is planning a protest in Tucson on the 14th anniversary of the start of the Fukushima accident in Japan. The Nuclear Resister, which bills itself as an educational group opposed to nuclear power and weapons, said it plans to hold a curbside press conference and demonstration at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday in front of the downtown headquarters of Tucson Electric Power near Broadway Road and Sixth Avenue. The group advocates for a "nuclear-free future" with nonviolent protests and other actions. TEP, along with metro-Phoenix utilities Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project, announced that they are looking into the feasibility of building or operating a new reactor in Arizona to help meet the state's growing energy needs. The utilities have not announced a location or timetable for such a project and say they aren't yet officially proposing a new reactor to complement the Palo Verde Generating Station in the West Valley, but they are jointly examining whether the project might be doable. APS, which operates Palo Verde, will spearhead the effort. Smaller modular nuclear reactors are among the possibilities, perhaps to be located on the site of an abandoned coal plant. The five members of the utility-regulating Arizona Corporation Commission, all Republicans, favor nuclear power as part of a diversified energy mix for the state. Members of the Nuclear Resister plan to garnish the Tucson demonstration with signs reading, "Tell TEP No New Nuclear Power in Arizona' and 'Nuclear Power — No Thanks!' The group also reports on protests such as one held March 5 against nuclear weapons outside a Raytheon factory in Tucson. Self-described local nuclear experts Russell Lowes and Jack Cohen-Joppa will speak on why they consider nuclear power to be too expensive, too slow to build and too risky, and a Tucson musician, Ted Warmbrand, will sing anti-nuclear folk songs. In 1979, Tucson resident Lowes was the principal author of an economic analysis that, he said, correctly predicted the Palo Verde plant would end up costing consumers much more than what its owners projected. Lowes plans to discuss the projected costs and questionable reliability of new nuclear plants. Cohen-Joppa, co-coordinator since 1980 of the Nuclear Resister, will discuss the potentially harmful impacts on front-line communities around uranium mines, nuclear fuel-processing plants, existing nuclear reactors and radioactive waste dumps. He also plans to rebut what he considers unproven claims being advanced by proponents of new nuclear reactors. The Fukushima disaster, triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami off the Japanese coast north of Tokyo, left an estimated 20,000 or so people dead, according to the Associated Press. Reach the writer at This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Group that advocates for nuclear-free future sets up Tucson protest
