Local opinion: Prop 414 is not the tax Tucson wants or needs

This is to caution the public about Prop 414, the City of Tucson’s “Safe and Vibrant Cities Community Investment Plan.” On March 11, Tucson will vote on Prop 414, a half-cent city sales tax raise with a 10-year term. A previous guest opinion touted Prop 414 as “good for Tucson,” but facts disagree. Taxpayer money should go towards the valuable programs and services taxpayers asked for, not towards increased surveillance.

The City of Tucson maintains that this investment plan is based on publicly identified priorities and a breadth of community feedback. This is not accurate. As a master’s of urban planning student and Tucsonan, I have been following the City’s public engagement closely as a volunteer and active participant. According to City memos, the Mayor and Council and City Manager’s Office are fully aware of what Tucson named as its main concerns in public feedback. Unfortunately, our priorities are not supported within Prop 414.

Let’s compare the City’s Budget Engagement Survey feedback to the Prop 414 investment plan. When asked to “prioritize funding the services below to make our community a better place to live and work,” Tucson’s top priority was “Expand Affordable Housing.” This is no surprise considering we are in a housing crisis. According to the City’s own Housing Affordability Strategy for Tucson, median rent rose 25% and home value rose 42% between 2019 and 2021, while incomes increased only 4% (p. 19). People are struggling to stay in their homes with rising costs, and many end up out on the street. According to the “Safe and Vibrant Cities” website, less than 17.5% of Prop 414 tax revenue will support housing.

Here’s another example: In answer to the survey question, “We need help understanding how we should prioritize funding for these community safety initiatives,” Tucsonans identified that “Expand Mental Health Services” was their top priority of five ranked choices. I cannot identify any expansions of mental health services in the Prop 414 budget. Fourth priority of five was “Increase Professional Staffing in the Tucson Police Department.” Prop 414 allocates $10.8 million a year to TPD staffing according to the city website. Regardless of how you personally feel about our local police (and many feel TPD is over-resourced) it is clear that our priorities are not reflected in the Prop 414 budget.

Claiming the Prop 414 tax budget is what residents want stretches the imagination, but the City continues to assure us it is what we asked for. It is not. Over $16 million towards a brand new police airplane is not what Tucsonans want or need from their tax dollars. Taxes in Tucson will reach 9.1% with Prop 414. If we cannot trust that our priorities are being taken seriously by the City, even when our feedback is directly solicited, how can we accept this proposed tax? If Prop 414 passes, every dollar spent in Tucson for the next 10 years will fund city services based on misrepresented community needs and values. Your third-grader will be graduating high school by the time Prop 414 sunsets.

My hope is that Tucsonans will hold out for a better prop on a future ballot. One that funds programs according to Tucson’s stated priorities. One that addresses causes rather than symptoms. Prop 414 includes some important programs that would benefit the community and actually address the roots of crime: poverty, homelessness, and addiction. However, they are vastly underfunded compared to others Tucson already stated it does not want. Ballots go out by mail February 12 and must be returned by March 5 or dropped at a polling location on election day, according to the City Elections Office. Vote No on Prop 414.