Arizona Bilingual News

The Best Of Two Worlds

By MC Steve Kozachik Ward 6

Steve-KozachikAs the old saying goes, there are only 2 things that are certain, potholes, and taxes. Well, that may be a slight variation in the adage, but if you’ve driven on many of the roads in this region, you know we’ve got issues with their condition.

In the coming weeks you’ll see several ideas floated as ways to fund road repair. One common idea is to add a dime to the gas tax you pay at the pump. It’s true that we haven’t increased the gas tax in years, but in this economy, do we really need to default to a tax increase?
Two years ago the voters approved Proposition 409. That was a temporary 5 year tax increase strictly intended for road repair. We’re in year 2 of the tax, and there’s talk of asking for an extension of that tax hike. As with the gas tax, if we do that, it can only be after approval from the voters at the ballot box.
But wouldn’t it be refreshing if the government didn’t always come to you asking to dip deeper into your wallet? Can’t we find a dedicated funding source to repair our roads that’s something other than just a tax increase? I believe we have just such an opportunity.
Back in 2006 the voters approved the Regional Transportation Authority. It’s a ½ cent tax we have been paying for the last 7 years. The money is broken down into funding safety, environmental issues, transit, and yes, roads. And the voters said at the time the RTA was adopted, it will have to go back to you for preapproval or it sunsets in 2026.
So why not just use the RTA tax we’re already paying to fix our roads? Simply because when it was first approved, it was specifically earmarked for building new roads. There are $1.2 billion dollars of taxes you’re already paying and none of it can be spent to fix our bone jarring roads. Unless you amend the original Plan.
The RTA Board is already talking about when to come back to you and ask for an extension. If you look at its accomplishments, it’s undeniable that your tax money has been used to build miles and miles of new and improved roadways all throughout Pima County. And one thing is true of each of those new roads. They’re competing with our older roads for the very limited dollars we have available for road repairs. We build ‘em, and we’ve got to maintain ‘em.
We still don’t have a long term dedicated funding source identified to accomplish that, outside of people’s chatter about raising taxes.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors has the authority to request the RTA be sent back to the ballot for an extension. They also have the authority to include a change to the RTA rules and ask that some percentage of the existing RTA tax be allocated to fix our roads. Do the math. If you took just 10% of that $1.2 billion dollars the tax is predicted to raise for building new roads, that’s $120 million set aside for fixing them. And it’s not a new tax, or an increase in a tax you’re already paying at the pump.
The RTA ½ cent sales tax has funded some important projects throughout our region. It will continue to do so until it expires, unless the voters agree to an extension. I urge you to contact the members of the Board of Supervisors and demand they at least give the voters a chance to decide at the ballot box between new and increased taxes, or setting aside for road repair a part of the RTA tax you’re already paying. I believe the idea wins 10 times out of 10. But only if you’re allowed to vote on it.

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