Votes from Tuesday’s election continue to be counted but results are becoming clearer on several local ballot measures across northern and central Arizona.
At a time when the cost of living has been a top issue for voters, many voters opposed efforts to increase local taxes, even when paired with improvements to public services.
Flagstaff public safety measures
Flagstaff voters appeared to have split the difference on a pair of public safety-related measures.
Propositions 404 and 405 sought to provide additional funding to the city’s fire and police departments.
According to unofficial results on Wednesday morning, about 53% of Flagstaff voters rejected Prop 404’s increase in the city sales tax by half-a-cent to pay for 77 new public safety jobs, mostly firefighters, police and dispatchers.
But just over half of voters appear to have supported Prop 405, which approves a $40 million bond to fund construction of new public safety facilities and equipment.
Approval of the bond will not raise the local property taxes that are used to pay off the borrowed money. The bond funds construction of a new fire station along John Wesley Powell Boulevard, a new wildfire management and training center, and an expansion of the city’s police station.
Yavapai County Jail Tax
According to Wednesday’s results voters in Yavapai County likely rejected a proposed sales tax increase to support the Yavapai County Jail District.
Proposition 497 would have raised the local sales tax by a quarter of a cent.
But about 52% of voters have so far rejected the measure. That’s even as some county officials had said that passage of the higher sales tax could open the way to lowering local property taxes.
Changes to development in Prescott
Meanwhile, Prescott voters overwhelmingly supported several development-related ballot measures.
Propositions 411 and 412 both put additional restrictions on developers seeking to build large projects within Prescott and beyond.
Proposition 412 requires developers outside city limits to preserve 25% of their property for open space and provide public access to trails for activities like biking and hiking.
The requirement applies to residential projects in areas that could become part of Prescott through annexation and that are at least 250 acres in size.
More than 70% of voters supported the measure.
Prop. 411 will require developers to pay for the full cost of public infrastructure like new roads or sewer systems that are required to support them.
More than 65% of voters supported the measure.
A majority of Prescott voters also supported a change to the way votes are counted in Prescott’s City Council primary elections.
More than 58% of voters supported Proposition 401, adopting the statewide election system used when multiple candidates run for multiple seats.
Prescott Valley aquatics center
According to unofficial results on Wednesday morning, Prescott Valley voters appear to have roundly rejected a proposed sales tax increase to pay for a new community aquatics center and gymnasium.
Proposition 493 would have increased the sales tax by a half-cent to fund a replacement to the Mountain Valley Splash Pool at Mountain Valley Park, which closed earlier this year.
Town officials say even as voters reject the higher tax rate, they’ll still be able to build the indoor pool using a mix of cash reserves and longer-term financing. But the gymnasium will not move forward.
