May 17, 2022 / Modified may 17, 2022 10:24 p.m.

Voters overwhelmingly approve Tucson sales tax

The money will go for road improvements over a decade.

Romero Prop 411 HERO Tucson Mayor Regina Romero celebrates the passage of Proposition 411. May 17, 2022
Christopher Conover/AZPM

City of Tucson voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 411 on Tuesday. The first results posted by the City Clerk’s office showed 73% of those who cast ballots voted for the ten-year extension of a half-cent sales tax.

At a victory party, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said she was “floored” by the results.

“I am floored because of the amount, the percentage of support that we’ve known all along that Tucsonans of every political stripe wants done. But you know it’s a campaign, so you never know until the last vote is counted. And a ten-year proposal is something that Tucsonans hadn’t seen before in front of us, “Romero said

Prop 411 will use 80% of the expected $740 million it will generate to improve neighborhood streets within city limits. The remainder of the money will go for safety improvements including better street lighting, sidewalks, and improvements for bike riders.

Romero said two citizen commissions will report on a regular basis to the Mayor and Council and the public about how the money is spent.

“We need to make sure that our oversight, citizen-led, oversight commissions are reporting to the community how it’s being spent, where it’s been spent etcetera. “

The special election was conducted by mail. Initial numbers from the clerk’s office show about a 25% turnout.

The results released on election night do not include any ballots turned in on Tuesday. The final results will be released later in the week.

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