Local opinion: Hispanic Chamber supports three Tucson-area ballot measures

Every election asks us to make choices. But beneath the names, numbers and propositions on a ballot is a more fundamental question: What kind of community do we want to leave to those who come after us?

At the Southern Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we spend considerable time talking about business and economic development. But economies are not built by numbers on a spreadsheet. They are built by people.

By parents creating better lives for their children. By students turning education into careers. By first responders protecting their neighbors. By entrepreneurs, many Latino-owned and first-generation, betting on an idea. And by families who want opportunity and reasons to believe their children can build a future here.

That is why our Chamber supports Propositions 421, 422, and 430 this November. They address different needs but share an important purpose: investing in people and the community we call home.

Proposition 421 would renew the franchise agreement between the City of Tucson and Tucson Electric Power while keeping the existing 2.25% franchise fee unchanged. A companion Energy Collaboration Agreement would provide $2 million annually, increasing 2% each year, for infrastructure, energy affordability, and community resilience.

Reliable infrastructure matters to commerce, but before it powers a business, it powers a home. Families depend upon it during the hottest days of an Arizona summer. So do our schools, hospitals, neighborhoods, and essential services. Reliable energy provides the stability upon which modern life depends.

Proposition 422 would continue Tucson's existing one-tenth-cent sales tax supporting Reid Park Zoo.

We support it because Reid Park Zoo is more than a place to see animals. For families across Southern Arizona, it provides an affordable, accessible opportunity for children to experience science and conservation firsthand. It is a place where learning extends beyond the classroom, and children begin to understand their responsibility to the extraordinary species with whom we share this planet.

There is something powerful about a child encountering an animal previously known only from a book or screen. Curiosity becomes understanding. Understanding can become empathy. And empathy can grow into a lifelong responsibility for the natural world.

Through conservation, education, research, and responsible animal care, zoos help protect vulnerable species while teaching each generation that our relationship with nature carries an obligation to care for it.

Proposition 430 would authorize $250 million in general obligation bonds for Pima Community College, investing in facilities, technology, student support, academic spaces and workforce education, including training for first responders and other high-demand careers. PCC estimates the average cost for a home with an assessed value of $250,000 at approximately $31.11 annually over the 20-year bonds.

We recognize that matters. Families are already balancing housing, groceries, utilities, childcare, and countless other expenses. Asking taxpayers for more carries a responsibility to demonstrate value and deliver results.

But consider what that investment makes possible: a young person discovering a pathway at Pima; a working parent gaining skills to earn a better wage; a student becoming a nurse, firefighter, technician or skilled tradesperson and building a life right here.

Those individual stories become something larger. They become our workforce, our neighborhoods, our businesses, and ultimately, our economy. That is what connects these propositions. One strengthens infrastructure our daily lives depend upon. One invests in conservation and education. And one creates pathways for people to learn, work, and build better lives.

Yes, we want Southern Arizona's economy to grow. But growth matters most when the people who live here grow with it. A strong economy should help create a strong community where people have opportunity, families can thrive, businesses can succeed, and the next generation has reason to stay.

Taxpayers deserve transparency, responsible stewardship, and measurable results. But fiscal responsibility is not simply about what we refuse to spend. It is also recognizing when failing to invest today leaves the next generation with a greater cost tomorrow.

We believe in Southern Arizona. More importantly, we believe in its people. That is why we support Propositions 421, 422, and 430. Because the real question is not simply what we are willing to invest today. It is what we are willing to build for tomorrow.