Tucson, Arizona, Sales Tax Increase for Public Safety and Road Improvements Amendment, Proposition 101 (May 2017)

• Text of measure
  • Ballot question
• Path to the ballot
• See also
  • External links
  • Footnotes
• More
  • Local ballot measures
  • State ballot measures
  • Local politics

Proposition 101: Tucson Sales Tax Increase for Public Safety and Road Improvements Amendment
The basics
Election date:
May 16, 2017
Status:
a Approved
Topic:
Local sales tax Amount: 0.5% Expires in: 5 years
Related articles
Local sales tax on the ballot May 16, 2017 ballot measures in Arizona Pima County, Arizona ballot measures
See also
Tucson, Arizona

Tucson Proposition 101, a sales tax increase measure, was on the ballot for Tucson voters in Pima County, Arizona, on May 16, 2017. The measure was approved.

A yes vote supported increasing the sales tax by an additional 1/2 percent to 8.6 percent for five years to provide funding for public safety and road improvements.

A no vote opposed this measure to increase the sales tax by an additional 1/2 percent to 8.6 percent for five years.

Election results

Proposition 101
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		44,192	61.48%
No		27,694	38.52%

Election results from City of Tucson

Voter turnout for the election was 28.28 percent (71,982 ballots of 254,532 registered voters).

Overview

Proposition 101 increased the sales tax by an additional 1/2 percent between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2022. The 0.5 percent tax was estimated to bring in $250 million over the five years. Of the revenue raised by the 0.5 percent sales tax, 60 percent was designated for a Public Safety Improvements Fund and 40 percent was designated for a Street Improvement Fund. Money in the Public Safety Improvements Fund was set to be divided equally between the Tucson Police Department and Tucson Fire Department, and it was planned to be used to purchase or upgrade public safety vehicles and equipment and make improvements to public safety facilities. Money in the Street Improvement Fund was set to be distributed with 60 percent going toward improvements to major arterial and collector streets and 40 percent going toward improvements to residential streets. The measure established citizen committees to oversee the distribution of tax revenue from Proposition 101.

Text of measure

Ballot question

The following question appeared on the ballot:

“

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE TUCSON CITY CHARTER REFERRED BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AUTHORIZING A TEMPORARY HALF-CENT (0.5%) SALES TAX TO FUND STREET AND PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS A “YES” vote shall have the effect of authorizing, for a period of five years, a half-cent (0.5%) transaction privilege tax and use tax to fund street improvements and public saftey ivestments, with 60% of the tax revenues apportioned to public saftey and 40% to street improvements. A “YES” vote authorizes, and incorporates by reference, the maps and plans designated as ROAD REPAIR PLAN — MAJOR STEETS; ROAD REPAIR PLAN — LOCAL STREETS; and PUBLIC SAFTEY IMPROVEMENTS PLAN approved by the Mayor and Council on January 24, 2017 by Ordinance No. 11431. A “NO” vote shall have the effect of rejecting the proposed sales tax for street and public safety improvements. ______ YES ______ NO

”

Full text

The full text of this charter amendment is as follows:

Chapter IV. Powers of City Sec. 3. Business privilege tax for transportation and public safety improvements. A. In addition to the powers described in Chapter IV, Section 2 of this Charter, during the time period beginning on July 1, 2017 and ending on June 30, 2022, the city shall have the power to impose, levy and collect a transaction privilege tax and use tax not exceeding five-tenths of one percent (0.5%) for the payment of city expenses for the following purposes: (1) Street improvements: restoration, repair, resurfacing and improvement of the condition of city streets, including all necessary costs in connection therewith; and (2) Public safety improvements: acquisition and upgrading of public safety vehicles and equipment, and capital improvements of public safety facilities. B. There shall be established a street improvements fund which shall consist of forty percent (40%) of all revenues collected from the tax authorized under Section 3(a) above, as well as any interest earned on those monies. The director of finance shall deposit all monies received from the designated tax revenues into this fund, and shall invest monies in the fund, and all accounts therein as provided by Chapter XXIX of this Charter. The director of finance shall credit monies earned from these investments to the fund. The street improvements fund shall be administered as follows: 1. Sixty cents ($0.60) of each dollar in the street improvement fund shall be used for restoration, repair, resurfacing and improvement of the condition of major streets, to include principal arterial and minor arterial streets, collector streets, and subcollector streets; 2. Forty cents ($0.40) of each dollar in the street improvement fund shall be used for restoration, repair, resurfacing and improvement of the condition of local or residential streets. 3. Monies from the street improvement fund shall be appropriated by the mayor and council only for the purposes set forth in this section and in accordance with a street improvement plan approved by the mayor and council by ordinance on or before January 31, 2017. C. There shall be established a public safety improvements fund which shall consist of sixty percent (60%) of all revenues collected from the tax authorized under Section 3(a) above, as well as any interest earned on those monies. The director of finance shall deposit all monies from the designated tax revenues into this fund, and shall invest monies in the fund, and all accounts therein as provided by Chapter XXIX of this Charter. The director of finance shall credit monies earned from these investments to the fund. The public safety improvements fund shall be used exclusively for the payment of expenses associated with the acquisition and upgrading of public safety vehicles and equipment, and capital improvements of public safety facilities, in accordance with a public safety improvements plan approved by the mayor and council by ordinance on or before January 31, 2017. D. The power to impose, collect and levy the taxes authorized by Section 3(a) above shall expire on June 30, 2022, unless that power is extended or renewed by the approval of a majority of the qualified electors of the city voting at an election called for that purpose.

Plans to distribute revenue

On January 24, 2017, the Tucson City Council and Mayor Rothschild (D) approved specific plans for how revenue from the 0.5 percent sales tax would be spent. Michael J. Ortega, the city manager, presented the plans. The 0.5 percent sales tax was estimated to bring in $250 million over five years. Proposition 101 was designed to require 60 percent of the revenue from the tax to be deposited in a Public Safety Improvements Fund.

The Tucson Police Department was slated to spend an estimated $74,996,000, and the Tucson Fire Department was slated to spend an estimated $74,972,000. Details of these estimated expenditures are as follows:

Expenditures of the Public Safety Improvements Fund
Department	Expense	Units
Tucson Police Department	$73,249,000
Police Department Patrol Fleet	$14,669,000	257
Police Department Motorcycles	$548,000	16
Police Department Unmarked Fleet	$4,407,000	164
Police Department Specialized Vehicles	$1,036,000	10
Air Support Equipment Repair/Replacemen	$600,000	N/A
Police Department Patrol Laptops	$3,918,000	1,306
Police Department Desktop Computers	$854,000	712
Patrol Vehicle Printers	$205,000	293
Patrol Vehicle Cameras	$2,930,000	293
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Maintenance Updates	$500,000	N/A
Police Department Evidence Storage	$450,000	N/A
Police Department Electronic Control Devices	$1,500,000	750
Police Body Worn Cameras and Memory Storage	$1,733,000	300
Police Department Fire Arms Replacement	$848,000	1,060
Ballistic Vests	$760,000	1,050
Police Facility Repair, Remediation and Security Upgrades (Rincon, Hardesty, Westside)	$1,094,000	N/A
Police Ancillary Support Deferred O&M and Security Upgrades	$368,000	N/A
Police Headquarters Deferred O&M and Security Upgrades	$442,000	N/A
Firearms Training Academy Upgrade	$4,387,000	N/A
New Southside Police Substation	$27,400,000	N/A
Police Department New Southeast Annex	$4,600,000	N/A
Tucson Fire Department	$73,225,000
Fire Apparatus (Pumper & Ladder Trucks, Paramedic Units, Special Purpose Vehicles)	$30,905,000	47
Fire Non-Specialized Fleet	$3,207,000	90
Fire Turnout Gear	$1,225,000	490
Fire Station Alerting	$1,323,000	N/A
Electronic Patient Care Reporting (EPCR) Ruggedized Laptops	$420, 000	140
Fleet Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs)	$910,000	140
Paramedic Cardiac Monitors	$2,003,000	62
Fire Station Remodels and Deferred O&M (FS 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)	$5,778,000	N/A
Fire Department Logistics Facility Remodel	$495,000	N/A
Fire Station Rebuilds (FS 3, 5, 8, 9, 10)	$26,959,000	N/A
Joint Police and Fire Departments	$3,494,000
Public Safety Training Academy Deferred O&M and Security Upgrades	$1,270,000	N/A
Public Safety Training Academy Track Replacement	$2,224,000	N/A

Proposition 101 was designed to collect an estimated $100 million in revenue dedicated to road repairs, with $60 million directed toward major roads and $40 million directed toward residential streets. The money for major roads was set to be spent on reconstructing 134 lane-miles and resurfacing 540 lane-miles. The measure established a citizens’ oversight commission to be responsible for prioritizing which residential streets receive repairs. The Tucson Department of Transportation was required to provide the commission with administrative and technical support. A map of the major streets planned to receive reconstruction or resurfacing under Proposition 101 is as follows:

Support

Invest in Tucson led the campaign in support of Proposition 101.

Supporters

Officials

• Mayor Jonathan Rothschild (D)
• Former Rep. Matt Kopec (D-9)
• County Supervisor Sharon Bronson (D-3)

Parties

• Pima County Democratic Party

Organizations

• Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Tucson Fire Fighters Association
• Tucson Police Officers Association
• Tucson Association of Realtors
• Tucson Medical Center
• Visit Tucson

Arguments in favor

• Mayor Jonathan Rothschild (D) and County Supervisor Sharon Bronson (D-3) wrote an opinion article in the Arizona Daily Star. They said:

“

The city and the county have had a great run recently of businesses moving here or expanding operations here – Raytheon, Caterpillar, Comcast, HomeGoods, and more. To build on this momentum, we need to continue the investments in public infrastructure that make Tucson a desirable community. Prop. 101 does just that, at an expected average cost of just $3 per month per person.

”

• Mayor Jonathan Rothschild (D) also stated:

“

The federal government is not going to come in and help us, the state government is not going to come in and help us. One of the reasons why we’re having to do this - why the county has had the difficulties they have had with their roads - is the state has swept our highway user revenue fund. So if this doesn’t pass these changes aren’t going to be made.

”

• Steve Kozachik (D-6), a member of the Tucson City Council, stated:

“

The bulk of it is going to vehicles, both police and fire. About 65 percent of our police vehicles are at or beyond their useful life. If you see a paramedic truck going by you, the chances are about 85 percent that the thing has about 150,000 miles. So the needs are obviously legit.

”

Official arguments

The following arguments in support of the measure were filed for the official voter guide:

“ The road bond that voters passed in 2012 has made a big difference, especially on our arterial streets. But that five-year funding source ends this year. That’s why I’m asking you to vote YES on Proposition 101, to continue the work we’ve begun for another five years. The earlier road bond focused on arterial streets. Proposition 101 continues that work, but adds more neighborhood streets. It also includes funding for public safety capital needs, such as police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, rescue equipment and station repairs. The recession meant that cities across the country had to put off necessary investments in infrastructure, facilities and equipment. Now, with a recent Bloomberg report showing Tucson’s job growth rate the third-highest of any metro area in the country, we’re in a better position to reinvest. We cannot look to state government or the federal government for help. The trend for both has been to shift more responsibilities to cities, with less funding. If we want good roads - if we want emergency responders to arrive quickly, with the right equipment -we’re going to have to make these investments ourselves. The city has kept its promises to voters with the 2012 road bond. Monies have been spent as promised, with citizen oversight. (You can read the annual reports here: www.tucsonaz.gov/street-bonds.) Not only that, projects have come in ahead of schedule and under budget, allowing us to add additional roads for resurfacing to the original plan. Like the earlier road bond, Proposition 101 comes with a detailed plan (you can read the plan here: www.tucsonaz.gov/prop101) and citizen oversight, and it funds necessary infrastructure, facilities and equipment. Please join me in investing in Tucson. Vote YES on Proposition 101. ” —Jonathan Rothschild, Mayor of Tucson “ Aside from high quality medical care, two things are key in managing life-threatening emergencies: a strong public safety system and well-maintained transportation networks. That’s why Tucson Medical Center supports Prop. 101, which would invest in Tucson’s roads, as well as equipment, vehicles and facility repair for our first responders. There are three main reasons we support the effort: Roads and effective emergency equipment are critical when minutes matter. In stroke care, for example, there is a “golden hour” in which patients have a better chance of surviving and avoiding longterm damage. Saving lives starts with emergency crews being able to arrive on scene in a timely and efficient manner, and transport patients to the closest emergency room. The City has been an effective steward of Prop. 409 street bond revenues, approved by voters in November 2012. The City’s program has been efficiently managed, coming in under budget and ahead of schedule. Thanks to conservative road repair estimates and a favorable construction environment, more roads have been repaired than originally anticipated. Strong transportation networks have always been the bedrock of economic competitiveness. TMC is not only the region’s 15th largest employer, but we see the strain that poverty places on families and on the larger community. Investment in roads is a sound economic development practice that helps ensure Tucson does not lose ground in what has become an increasingly competitive environment to lure and grow new business. Until there is a long-term solution to the daunting transportation needs facing this area, we ask voters to strongly consider this opportunity to support our emergency responders and address an immediate need to make Tucson safer and more vibrant. ” —Julia Strange, Vice President, Tucson Medical Center and Michael Duran, Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Tucson Medical Center “ Great places to live are great places to visit. That is why we at Visit Tucson, the travel promotion agency for metro Tucson, encourage you to vote yes on Prop. 101. This half-cent sales tax would be in place for five years to fund public safety and road repairs. Police and fire will be able to purchase the vehicles and equipment needed to protect us adequately. Additionally, $100 million will be utilized to fix residential streets and major roads. The City of Tucson has proven what it can do with $100 million to fix roads. Due to the City’s efficiency and lower materials costs, the projects promised as part of the 2012 $100 million street bonds program were completed for $60 million with the remainder dedicated to fixing hundreds of additional lane miles of Tucson roads. Much work remains, however, to get many of our city streets up to standard. Voting yes on Prop. 101 will go a long way toward fixing our roads, which is one of the top concerns cited by residents and visitors alike. Visitors spend $2.2 billion annually in Pima County, including $82 million in local taxes. Their expenditures on lodging, food and beverages, entertainment, retail, local transportation and gasoline help to employ 24,000 people in Pima County. Visitors also pay local sales tax on many of these items, which means visitors will contribute even more toward Tucson’s enhanced public safety and roads if Prop. 101 passes. Please vote yes on Prop. 101. ” —Brent DeRaad, President & Chief Executive Officer, Visit Tucson and Felipe Garcia, Officer Executive Vice President, Visit Tucson “ The Tucson Police Officers Association enthusiastically supports the passage of Proposition 101. We love this community; we take seriously the mission of keeping Tucsonans safe; we put ourselves on the line for the people of Tucson every single day. We support Prop 101 because we need the tools do our job safely and effectively. Our tools are currently degraded by heavy use. Today, we rely on overused patrol cars. Of the vehicles in the Tucson Police fleet, 52.5% are a decade old, or older. Consider this: when Tucsonans see a TPD patrol car on the street, that vehicle was most likely manufactured before 2007, and it is in use 20 hours each day. Fiftyfive percent of our vehicles have over 100,000 miles on them. Patrol cars are not the only equipment in need of upgrade, replacement or repair. Thirty-eight percent of TPD ballistic vests are beyond their recommended useful life—by an average of 4- and-half years per vest. Tucson Police Officer Jorge Tequida was shot on duty on December 1, and he survived due to the protection afforded him by his ballistic vest. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Tucson Police Officers regard the passage of Prop 101 as a matter of life and death. We hope you'll join us in giving your public safety professionals the tools we need to meet our obligation to keep you and your family safe. ” —Roland Gutierrez, President, TPOA and Kristopher Goins, Treasurer, TPOA “ The Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors supports the City of Tucson half-cent sales tax increase for several reasons: 1. Multiple surveys sent to local business executives confirm that they are demanding that the condition of our local streets be improved. 2. When asked about their preferred funding mechanism for street repair the business community has demonstrated an "all of the above" preference meaning that fixing the streets is more important than where the funding comes from. 3. The City of Tucson has managed the funds it has received through a previous $100 million bond measure exceptionally well, repairing 1.4 miles of surface for every mile it had budgeted for. 4. Prop 101 will sunset in five years, meaning this is not a permanent tax. 5. Improving our streets improves the aesthetics of our community. Those aesthetics are vital to quality of life and our community’s "curb appeal" to new job creators. For these and other reasons, the Tucson Metro Chamber asks voters to approve Prop 101. ” —Robert D. Ramirez, Chairman of the Board, Tucson Metro Chamber and Larry Lucero, Vice Chairman, Tucson Metro Chamber “ Voters in Tucson have the chance to choose to invest in ourselves. Proposition 101 is a reasonable approach to address the City of Tucson's capital needs for public safety and road repair. A half-cent sales tax increase to pay for police cars, fire trucks, and fixing roads is required to address our needs here in Tucson. The capital plan includes citizen oversight, and clearly spells out what the money will - and can only - be used for. The tax ends after five years. One of the most important things to consider when you go to vote is this: If not us, then who? If we are not going to invest in our community, then who is? Our federal and state governments have not made infrastructure repair a priority. Tucson, along with most other jurisdictions, is not getting its fair share of state road repair funds. Instead, the state has used funds for road repair - funds that should go to cities and towns - to balance its own budget. Nobody is going to fix this problem, except for us, and we have a chance to do that on May 16th. Please vote Yes on Proposition 101. ” —Former Rep. Matt Kopec “ The Pima County Democratic Party Executive Committee supports Proposition 101. Proposition 101 is a sound way for Tucson to invest in itself during a time when neither our state nor our federal government can be counted on for assistance. Our roads need repair, and our police and fire personnel need new equipment and vehicles. This proposition will raise the Tucson city sales tax by one half cent to pay for these repairs and improvements, and be capped at 5 years. In order for Tucson, our region, and Pima County to succeed, we need to keep and attract employers who offer well-paying jobs. We also need to build a community that gives a reason for our children to stay here as they grow older, enter the workforce, and have families of their own if they so choose. Good roads and a 21st century public safety force provide the foundation for a community to thrive. Cities have core responsibilities to their residents; roads, police and fire are vital services and right now they need our help. On May 16th, Tucson has the opportunity to make a positive local change by voting to make an investment in its future. We strongly encourage you to vote Yes on Proposition 101. ” —Jo M. Holt, Chair, Pima County Democratic Party “ The Tucson Fire Fighter's Association is proud to support the passage of Proposition 101. Tucson is our home and we take seriously our obligation to protect the people of our community. We support Prop 101 because the equipment we depend on to keep the citizens of Tucson safe, is out of date and in need of repair. Currently, 68% of the Tucson Fire Department Engine Companies have exceeded their replacement threshold. The Ladder Trucks are not faring much better with 42% of the fleet being over the same mark. In addition, 90% of Paramedic Trucks are also due to be replaced. When people in the community dial 911, they deserve to know that the Emergency Response Vehicle coming to their aid is in good repair and able to get them safely to a hospital or properly extinguish a fire. For our fire fighters to do their jobs effectively, we need dependable fire trucks and safety equipment. We also need repairs and reconstruction on our fire stations. Recently, one of them was closed for several days over health concerns due to an infestation of mold and asbestos. Several other stations in need of refurbishing were built in the 1960s, and in dire need of repair. We hope you'll join us in supporting Proposition 101. We are committed to excellence in the job of maintaining public safety, and we rely on your cooperation to get us the equipment we need to meet our obligation. ” —Josh Campbell, President, TFFA and Mike Wintrode, Secretary/Treasurer, TFFA “ We need to repair more of Tucson's roads and replace an aging fleet of police vehicles, fire trucks and equipment to ensure that Tucson's first responders can reliably respond to emergencies. Proposition 101 focuses exclusively on these infrastructure investments, with $150 million devoted to police and fire, and $100 million devoted to road repairs. I support all these needed investments, but I will focus on roads. As a citizen, I am quite familiar with Tucson's need for significantly more road repairs. In 2012 Tucson voters adopted a $100 million Road Repair Bond program, and I helped lead that campaign. Since the Bond program's adoption I have served on Tucson's Bond Oversight Commission, a citizen's committee that oversees bond expenditures to assure that road repair contracts are competitively bid to private contractors. In this role, I have witnessed firsthand the City's fiscally sound approach to road improvements. Now in its fourth year, the Bond program has made great strides improving Tucson's roadway infrastructure. But the Bond program ends in 2018. The City's unmet needs are still great and far exceed current bond and other budgeted revenues. Proposition 101 is the critically needed "next step" in Tucson's continued commitment to improve our roads. Proposed sales tax revenues totaling $100 million will be deposited to a Street Improvement Fund, which will be monitored by the same citizen's committee now monitoring the bond funds. Major street improvements will total $60 million. Major arterials slated for improvement are already identified, including Grant Road, Speedway and Broadway. The remaining $40 million will be devoted to improving residential streets throughout Tucson. Tucson has a proven track record of delivering cost-effective road repairs. Voting "Yes" on Proposition 101 will continue Tucson's smart approach to solving our greatest infrastructure challenges. ” —Bruce Burke

Opposition

Opponents

Parties

• Pima County Republican Party
• Green Party of Pima County

Organizations

• Tucson Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
• Lucha Unida de Padres y Estudiantes (LUPE) Tucson
• Tucson Bus Riders Union

Individuals

• David Eppihimer, chairperson of the Pima County Republican Party

Arguments against

• David Eppihimer, chairperson of the Pima County Republican Party, stated:

“

Please consider voting to protect you, your family and your businesses — vote “no.” The mayor and council overlook the fact that while some of us can afford to pay higher taxes, many Tucsonans live paycheck to paycheck and do not wish to be pushed into the welfare system. Our local cost of living will be marginally raised by this tax increase, and the math will continue to add up against the families who are the most vulnerable and must buy the essentials of living in the city proper.

”

• Tucson Showing Up for Racial Justice issued a statement on the proposition, which said:

“

Using a sales tax to increase funding for the police is an unfair burden on poor people and communities of color to pay for something that targets and surveils them. No matter how much you are struggling, everyone pays the same amount on a sales tax, even if they make 50 times as much as you. Basic needs are taxed. Meanwhile developers and businesses in Tucson already get tax breaks. This isn't fair. And more police and money for police means higher incarceration rates for poor people and communities of color; contributing to things like the school to prison pipeline.

”

• Dan Simon, a resident of Tucson, said:

“

Save for a few exclusions, any retailer within Tucson city limits is required to collect and remit city and state sales tax. Currently those rates amount to 8.1 percent of the sale. This has been an ordinary business process for a very long time. Unfortunately, the sales-tax system has eroded to become the most unfair and discriminating tax in modern America. ... With thin margins already, every local Tucson retailer is placed at an insurmountable 8.1 percent disadvantage to out-of-state Internet competition. As a longtime employee at a small Tucson business, I see this happening every single day.

”

• Brian Flagg, resident of the Casa Maria Catholic Worker House and member of Tucson Bus Riders Union, said:

“

To promote only the use of cars and do nothing to promote transit is irresponsible in this time of obvious climate change. Enhancing the bus system to make it a viable option for more and more Tucsonans would create an opportunity for us to use less fossil fuel and would demonstrate much-needed environmental leadership for our city.

”

Official arguments

There were no arguments in opposition to the measure filed for the official voter guide.

Media editorials

Support

• Arizona Daily Star said: "When some Tucson streets are more potholed than paved, and worn out police and fire vehicles are at risk of breaking down en route to an emergency, it’s time for a community to step up. Voters should do precisely that by voting “yes” on Proposition 101 in the mail-in special election underway in Tucson."
• Tucson Weekly said: "Whether you're rich or poor, it's vital to have an ambulance when you need one. It's vital that cops can do their job. It's vital that we have decent streets. These things are good for residents and they're good for persuading new companies to move here, improving our ability to create jobs and have a decent standard of living."

Opposition

Ballotpedia has not yet found any editorial board endorsements in opposition to this measure. If you know of one, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

Total campaign contributions:
Support:	$390,149
Opposition:	$0

One political action committee, Invest in Tucson 2017, was registered in support of the measure as of May 16, 2017. Invest in Tucson 2017 had raised $390,149 and spent $244,274.

The top contributor to Invest in Tucson 2017 was the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Tucson Firefighters Local 479, which contributed $100,000 in cash donations and $35,927 in the form of in-kind services.

As of May 16, 2017, no political action committees were registered in opposition to the measure.

Support

The contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of the initiative were current as of May 16, 2017.

Committees in support of Proposition 101 Supporting committees Cash contributions In-kind services Cash expenditures Invest in Tucson 2017 $331,722.00 $58,427.00 $244,273.64 Total $331,722.00 $58,427.00 $244,273.64

Totals in support Total raised: $390,149.00 Total spent: $302,700.64

Donors

The following were donors who contributed $10,000 or more to Invest in Tucson 2017 as of May 16, 2017.

Donor	Cash	In-kind	Total
IAFF Tucson Firefighters Local 479	$100,000.00	$35,927.00	$135,927.00
National Association of Realtors	$31,250.00	$22,500.00	$53,750.00
We Build Arizona	$23,500.00	$0.00	$23,500.00
Tucson Police Officers Association PAC	$15,000.00	$0.00	$15,000.00
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Arizona	$10,000.00	$0.00	$10,000.00
Southern Arizona Leadership Council	$10,000.00	$0.00	$10,000.00
Greg Taylor (Regional VP for Cenpatico Integrated Care)	$10,000.00	$0.00	$10,000.00

Reporting dates

Tucson political action committees filed a total of seven campaign finance reports in 2017. The filing dates for reports were as follows:

2017 campaign finance reporting dates
Date	Report	Period
1/15/2017	Nov. Post-Election Report	11/24/2016 - 12/31/2016
4/15/2017	1st Quarter Report	1/01/2017 - 3/31/2017
5/06/2017	May Pre-Election Report	4/01/2017 - 4/29/2017
Election on May 17, 2017
7/15/2017	May Post-Election Report	4/30/2017 - 6/30/2017
8/19/2017	Aug. Pre-Election Report	7/01/2017 - 8/12/2017
10/15/2017	Aug. Post-Election Report	8/13/2017 - 9/30/2017
10/28/2017	Nov. Pre-Election Report	10/01/2017 - 10/21/2017
1/15/2018	Nov. Post-Election Report	10/22/2017 - 12/31/2017

Background

In Arizona, the state, counties, and municipalities levy sales taxes. As of January 1, 2017, the average total sales tax of the 15 largest cities in Arizona was 8.334 percent. The total sales tax in Tucson was 8.10 percent, about 0.224 percentage points below the average. The average city sales tax was 2.01 percent. Tucson's city sales tax was 2.00 percent. Proposition 101 increased the Tucson city sales tax to 2.5 percent and the total sales tax to 8.6 percent for five years.

Municipality	State tax	County tax	City tax	Total tax
Phoenix	5.60%	0.70%	2.30%	8.60%
Tucson	5.60%	0.50%	2.00%	8.10%
Mesa	5.60%	0.70%	1.75%	8.05%
Chandler	5.60%	0.70%	1.50%	7.80%
Glendale	5.60%	0.70%	2.90%	9.20%
Scottsdale	5.60%	0.70%	1.65%	7.95%
Gilbert	5.60%	0.70%	1.50%	7.80%
Tempe	5.60%	0.70%	1.80%	8.10%
Peoria	5.60%	0.70%	1.80%	8.10%
Surprise	5.60%	0.70%	2.20%	8.50%
Yuma	5.60%	1.11%	1.70%	8.41%
Avondale	5.60%	0.70%	2.50%	8.80%
Flagstaff	5.60%	1.30%	2.051%	8.951%
Goodyear	5.60%	0.70%	2.50%	8.80%
Lake Havasu City	5.60%	0.25%	2.00%	7.85%

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Arizona

Proposition 101, an amendment to the cap on the sales tax found in the city charter, was referred to the ballot by the Tucson City Council and Mayor Jonathan Rothschild (D). On December 20, 2016, the council unanimously approved legislation providing for a special election to take place on May 16, 2017, and referred Proposition 101 to the ballot for the special election.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Tucson Sales Tax Roads Safety. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Tucson, Arizona, Sales Tax Increase for Public Safety and Road Improvements Amendment, Proposition 101 (May 2017) - Google News

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2017
• Local sales tax on the ballot

• Pima County measures

Arizona

• May 16, 2017 measures in Arizona
• Local ballot measures, Arizona
• Tucson, Arizona

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

Information

• City of Tucson Elections Office
• Proposition 101
• Official Voter Guide

Support

• Invest in Tucson
• Invest in Tucson Facebook