The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Miranda Schubert's recent opinion piece in the Arizona Daily Star urging a "no" vote on Propositions 418 and 419 — the proposed extension of Pima County's half-cent sales tax for the RTA Next 20-year plan — paints a picture of a future dominated by pedestrians, bicycles, protected bike lanes, frequent fare-free transit, and shaded sidewalks. It's a vision that ultimately promotes an idealistic, urban-centric approach that sidelines the practical realities of our sprawling desert region, where personal vehicles remain essential for most residents' daily lives, commutes, and economic needs.
While I too oppose Propositions 418 and 419, my reasons differ sharply from hers. Rejecting these measures isn't about rejecting transit or embracing cars at all costs — it's about rejecting a flawed governance model that has repeatedly failed to deliver on promises made to voters since 2006.
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The original Proposition 400 half-cent sales tax was sold as a 20-year commitment to fix roads, expand transit, and ease congestion across Pima County. Instead, it has fallen short by hundreds of millions due to the Great Recession, COVID disruptions, cost overruns, and — most critically — chronic political dysfunction on the RTA board. This elected body, composed of politicians from Tucson, Pima County, suburbs like Marana and Oro Valley, and others (plus a state rep), has turned project delivery into a quagmire of delays, infighting, and posturing.
Examples abound: months-long planning standstills, a razor-thin 5-4 vote in June 2025 to oust the prior executive director, and major projects like key segments of Houghton Road, Kolb Road extensions, and Valencia Road widening left incomplete or far behind schedule years later. These aren't mere hiccups; they're symptoms of a structure where elected officials prioritize political alignments, pet projects, and suburban wish lists over efficient, taxpayer-focused execution.
Schubert suggests the City of Tucson could do better on its own, pursuing "15-minute city" ideals and climate-focused measures independently. Let's be clear: The city already exerts outsized influence on the RTA board through its mayor and council representatives, who have often pushed utopian transit priorities at the expense of balanced regional needs. The problem isn't insufficient city power; it's the politicized board itself.
A true fix would require going back to the drawing board: Drastically reduce scope to core, high-priority infrastructure; strip out political add-ons; and reform governance — ideally replacing the all-politician board with industry professionals (engineers, planners, fiscal experts) or at minimum adding non-elected members with expertise to counterbalance votes and prioritize results over rhetoric.
The core flaw isn't funding scarcity in theory — it's mismanagement that wastes what we have. Even with shortfalls, reports have highlighted hundreds of millions in unspent or idle balances, yet the board approved hiring former Tucson City Manager Mike Ortega as executive director in 2025 at a staggering $356,000 annually — far exceeding his predecessor's pay — while unfinished projects languish and voters are asked for more.
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Brenda Marts is a longtime local resident who has lived in the same house for 35 years, driven the same roads and who has seen the steady decline.
