Pima County Asks Voters To Increase Spending Cap By $610 Million

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October 19, 2026

By Staff Reporter |

Pima County voters will decide on Election Day in November whether to increase the spending cap by 75%, from $817 million to more than $1.4 billion.

Proposition 425 would increase the county’s permanent base, or expenditure, limit that aids in calculating the county’s spending limit under state law.

Arizona law requires all counties, cities, and towns to limit how much local revenue may be spent. Counties and municipalities calculate expenditure limits by multiplying the amount spent in fiscal year 1979-80 by the estimated growth in population and a measure of inflation.

The county spent $1.8 billion and accrued a revenue of $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2026-2027. Estimates from the county show that it has utilized at or near 100% of its expenditure limit since 2001.

The county FAQ page states that the approval of Proposition 425 would add $70 million to its 1979-80 expenditure base. As noted by Scott Day Freeman, an attorney with the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based public policy and litigation firm, the $70 million was based on 1980 dollars rather than 2026 dollars.

According to the ballot language, the $70 million is actually more than $610 million when adjusting each future year for population and inflation growth since 1980.

In the proposition, the county stated that it doesn’t anticipate approaching full utilization of the increased expenditure limit for another 20 years at least.

Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott told KOLD that the county will continue to run out its expenditure limit in the years to come. Scott said that the expenditure limit by design has failed to keep up with modern budgeting needs.

“What we know from looking at our own expenditure and revenue projections is that we’re going to bump up against that expenditure limit in the next two to three years,” said Scott.

The county also stated that the spending cap increase would not authorize any new tax or raise any existing tax, and would be allowing the county to spend existent revenue that it cannot legally touch.

Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy told The Center Square that he had concerns with how the board plans to spend the money, which he called a “blank check,” if the proposition is approved. Christy said he believes the board has failed to target spending on “core foundational matters,” citing infrastructure, road repair, public transportation, and public safety.

“They want to have the ability and flexibility to spend more money by removing these cap restrictions,” said Christy.

Some citizens believe the county’s ask is too great.

A coalition of these citizens formed the bipartisan “No on Prop 425” campaign to try to dissuade voters from approving an expenditure limit increase. The campaign’s co-chairs, State Sen. Sally Gonzales (LD-20), a Democrat, and Jay Tolkhoff, a former Republican candidate for Tucson City Council, believe the spending cap increase is too large.

Despite what the county promised, Tolkhoff said he worries the increase would eventually cause property taxes to be raised.

“They can say, you know, no taxes,” said Tolkhoff. “You start spending more money; that money’s going to come from some place, and it’s going to come from higher property taxes.”