By Staff Reporter |
The Tucson City Council is looking to implement a new transaction privilege tax to pay for a number of social projects.
The transaction privilege tax would be temporary (10 years) and amount to one-half cent (.5 percent). The city projected the tax would generate $80 million annually, or $800 million total.
With the council’s approval during their upcoming regular meeting on Wednesday, the transaction privilege tax under the “Safe and Vibrant Tucson” ballot measure would come before voters in a special election next March. The election wouldn’t be in person, but rather a vote-by-mail election.
The city projected the cost of conducting this special, mail-only election wouldn’t exceed $1.1 million.
The ballot measure was intended to take place last month; however, the city’s intent had the potential of breaking state law requiring local sales tax proposal elections to appear only on November ballots in even-numbered years. Following a request to review the issue by Democratic Senator Rosanna Gabaldon, Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a legal opinion in March defending the city’s desire to hold a tax-related ballot measure on their own terms rather than those permitted by law.
Even with Mayes’ blessing, city leadership opted to forfeit the July date for their special election, instead pushing it back to March of 2025.
Disbursements of the tax revenue would first prioritize capital investment for first responders (30 percent), enhanced emergency response (22 percent), affordable housing and shelter (17 percent), neighborhood and community resilience (16 percent), and then technology investments (12 percent).
Capital investments for first responders (30 percent) would include funding for: more police and fire personal protective equipment; specialized fire apparatus such as fire trucks, fire engines, fire pumpers, ambulances, and support trucks; unmarked police vehicles and speciality units used by SWAT teams; and upgrades and modernization for fire stations, police substations, and major equipment.
Enhanced emergency response (22 percent) would include funding for increased staffing for police, fire departments, 911, and 311. Police staffing funds would specifically include employment of more commissioned officers, community service officers (CSOs), and professional staff investigators (PSIs).
Affordable housing and shelter (17 percent) would include funding for: Tucson’s Housing First program; increased access to emergency shelters and transitional housing; down payment assistance to qualifying residents; a new Mobile Court function and investments in other specialty courts; progressive addiction treatments like harm reduction; physical investments in public, rental, and private houses such as long-term maintenance, weatherization, and climate resilience; large-scale housing projects; development impact fees for qualifying affordable housing projects; and moving current rental properties into the market for local home ownership.
Neighborhood and community resilience (16 percent) would include funding for: Pima Early Education Program Scholarships; youth workforce development programs; expanding the Community Safety, Health, and Wellness programs to teens; opening up VIVA locations; deploying Community Service Officer resources; beautification programs such as Team Up to Clean Up and Somos Uno Master Plan; cleaning up public transit; and expanding workforce training programs.
Technology investments (12 percent) would include funding for: improving 911 and 311 call systems; modernizing air support functions within Community Safety Awareness and Response Center by adding a fixed-wing aircraft, replacing the aging helicopter fleet, and advancing the use of unmanned aircraft; and accessing and managing all video and data collected by police body-worn cameras.
The proposed ballot measure’s primary focus on funding police and public safety was a reflection of results from over 800 respondents to a community budget survey the city issued earlier this year.
In its agenda materials, the city did note that the ballot measure excluded funding for road infrastructure.
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