Local opinion: Why Pima County must vote yes on Props 418 & 419

Every day at Tucson Medical Center, our team works to provide excellent care to thousands of patients across Pima County. But healthcare doesn't happen in a vacuum; it depends on patients being able to reach us, staff getting to work safely, and emergency vehicles moving through our streets without delay. As chair of the Connect Pima campaign and CEO of one of Southern Arizona's largest employers, I'm asking you to vote "yes" on both Propositions 418 and 419 this March.

These measures will continue the funding that keeps our roads maintained, our community connected, and our economy growing, without raising taxes. Nine out of ten Pima County residents say our roads need improvement. We see it every day: potholes, cracked pavement, dangerous intersections, and growing congestion. Props 418 and 419 offer a proven, practical solution without asking taxpayers to pay more.

In my role at TMC, I see firsthand how transportation problems affect health outcomes. Patients miss critical appointments because roads are congested or they lack reliable transit. Medical staff navigate deteriorating streets that make their daily commutes more stressful. Ambulances lose precious minutes stuck in congested intersections or dodging potholes that could harm patients in critical condition.

Props 418 and 419 tackle these problems head-on. The plan invests in safety improvements and better intersections that help emergency vehicles respond faster and focuses on repaving major roads and fixing the potholes that make every trip more dangerous. The plan also includes funding for transit services like dial-a-ride for seniors and paratransit for people with disabilities. These are lifelines for patients who need these services to get medical care.

Tucson Medical Center employs thousands of people, but we're just one part of Pima County's economy. Businesses across our region, from small retailers to major employers, depend on reliable roads to move goods, serve customers, and help employees get to work safely and on time.

Without Props 418 and 419, we stand to lose nearly two-thirds of our current transportation funding for the region. That means more deteriorating roads, worse traffic, and fewer jobs. It means construction jobs that won't be created and matching funds from the state and federal government that will go to other places, likely Maricopa County, which has already renewed its transportation funding.

And despite what some may assume, Prop 419 does not raise taxes. It continues the existing half-cent sales tax that Pima County voters approved twenty years ago. We're asking voters to renew their commitment to our transportation system at the same rate they've been paying since 2006.

As chair of Connect Pima, I've had the privilege of working with a diverse group of community leaders, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and residents from across our region and tribal nations. What brings us together is a simple truth: we cannot afford to let our roads fall apart.

We cannot wait for Washington or Phoenix to fix our roads. They haven't increased funding for Pima County transportation in over thirty years. We must invest in ourselves, and Props 418 and 419 give us the voter-protected, locally controlled funding to do exactly that.

I want to be crystal clear about something crucial: Both Prop 418 and Prop 419 must pass for any of these improvements to happen. Prop 418 is the plan; Prop 419 is the funding. They work together as a package, and voting yes on only one won't move us forward.

I encourage every voter in Pima County to mail their ballot by March 4th or drop it off on Election Day, March 10th. Vote "Yes" on both Propositions 418 and 419. Our roads, our economy, and our community's future depend on it.