April 30, 2018 / Modified apr 30, 2018 4:11 p.m.

County Supes to Debate Draft of Road Improvement Sales Tax

A memo predicts the bill will go through a final vote on June 19.

Pothole close roads work A pothole on a Tucson street.
Nick O'Gara, AZPM

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will begin debate on drafts of a resolution and an ordinance that would put in place a half-cent sales tax to fund road repairs for the next 10 years.

A memo sent to the board by County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry contains details, including draft legislation, estimates on funds and a timetable for votes.

The tax would raise an estimated $910 million over the decade it would be in place.

That money would go into the road repair fund, where it would be distributed to the county and other local municipalities specifically for use on road repairs or to pay down debt and financing associated with road work.

The Regional Transportation Authority would have oversight of the funds and would be responsible for annual audits.

The supervisors have been discussing the subject for months. The debate will now shift to the drafts prepared by county staff.

Passing of the sales tax would also roll back a recently instated 25-cent property tax that funds road repair efforts.

A May 15 board meeting will include public hearings on the proposed tax. A final vote is expected at the board's June 19 meeting.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona