Arizona Daily Star Editorial: The Star endorses Propositions 418, 419

The Arizona Daily Star endorses the passage of Propositions 418 and 419, the RTA Next plan and funding authorization.

We do so not without significant reservations — but we have concluded that passage is necessary to fuel both quality of life and economic advancement for the region, and that rejection would mean a painful step backward in those respects.

Our “yes” recommendation comes with some very specific caveats. We believe that it is the responsibility of the RTA to:

1. Take accountability for all current projects, including the slow-motion disaster of Grant Road, with hard completion dates and costs, so that businesses can at least have some assurances of a timeline that can allow for financial planning. We believe there should be contractor penalties for non-compliance that would help compensate small businesses for their ongoing losses.

2. Provide significantly more transparency on projects’ planning, sequencing and status. Without increasing the administrative cost burden, the RTA Board should provide detailed quarterly report cards for each project in addition to its own financial performance. The Arizona Daily Star pledges to push for those reports, help to share them widely, and analyze them for accuracy and progress.

3. Make a good-faith effort to rein in administrative costs and provide an example of efficiency and transparency for other local governments. Seasoned administrator Michael J. Ortega is being paid $356,000 for 2026. The Star is not saying that is unreasonable, but to earn that considerable compensation he must accomplish this greater accountability and transparency. It’s a tough job, requiring working cooperatively with the individual governments as well as overseeing the execution of the many projects in the plan.

4. Understand that the people of Tucson feel disadvantaged by the RTA structure and ensure that Tucsonans get a fair deal for their money and a reasonable time frame for the projects that affect them most, to grow long-term faith in the agency.

The member governments of RTA have responsibilities of their own. Many of Tucson’s surface streets are in deplorable condition, and it speaks poorly of the City Council’s budgeting and priorities that it cannot find more money to mill and replace surfaces and fix potholes across the city. We also believe that public transit must be made safer, more frequent and more far-reaching, and if that requires reinstituting fares, so be it.

Let’s face it: The last year has shown that relying on federal funding for transit — or anything else — is dangerous. And for decades, Arizona’s Legislature has also proven adept at evading its responsibility to help municipalities with anything — like transit or public education — that might actually make life easier for the less advantaged among us.

So it’s up to us to help ourselves, and the RTA represents the best chance to do that. The extension of the half-cent sales tax is regressive and regrettable, but it’s necessary, and at least it won’t be felt as sorely as a new tax would be.

The Star is certainly no fan of sprawl and the continued scraping of new square miles of desert to build single-family homes far from the city center. But several factors — including housing policy and zoning laws — have a far greater impact on sprawl than regional transit, and we have to be realistic. Tucson and the metropolitan area is already spread out, and people deserve to be able to drive, bike and walk safely and easily to get to jobs, homes and services.

It’s important to note that both propositions must pass in order for the plan to move forward.

The Star recommends “yes” votes on Propositions 418 and 419.