If you’re registered to vote in Tucson, a special election will be held on Tuesday, March 11, and the only thing you’ll be voting on is Proposition 414. So what is it?

Proposition 414, called the “Safe and Vibrant City” measure, is a half-cent sales tax increase for the next 10 years to fund a safer and more vibrant Tucson, according to the city.

If the ballot measure passes, funding from the increased sales tax over the next 10 years will be put into five separate spending categories with “65.75% of the funding allocated to public safety investments and 34.25% of the funding allocated to community resiliency investments.”

The five categories where funding will be allocated are:

• Affordable housing and shelter
• Neighborhood and community resilience
• Enhanced emergency response
• Technology investments
• Capital investments for first responders

Capital investments for first responders lead the way, receiving 30.75% of funding from the tax increase.

Most of the funding will be going to the Tucson Police Department, and some will go to the Tucson Fire Department. The money will be put into personal protective equipment for both TPD and TFD, patrol vehicles, ladders and TPD air support.

Advocates in the local community are upset that so much of the budget from the proposed sales tax would be going to police, including the grassroots No Prop. 414 Tucson coalition.

“Budget allocations in this sales tax do NOT reflect community feedback values. HALF of the revenues will be allocated to police, and less than 17.5% to Housing and Shelter,” according to the group’s website.

The coalition is correct in calling out the discrepancy between funding numbers. Affordable housing and shelter is receiving 17.5% of the funding and 16.75% is going to neighborhood and community resilience.

Under affordable housing, the new sales tax will go towards resiliency programs, defined as, “the ability to adapt to change positively, recover from difficulties and persist in facing challenges,” according to the City of Tucson.

The definition shows challenges such as extreme weather, rising housing costs and maintenance issues, all of which can contribute to housing instability — something this funding would work to address.

There are three resiliency programs targeting three separate groups, including renters. Many University of Arizona students rent homes or apartments in the area surrounding the university. 

The program for renters will receive $1 million dollars per year to be used for “weatherization, HVAC improvements, solar power, roof repairs, plumbing repairs, water efficiency upgrades, EV charging equipment, and ADA improvements, where applicable,” the City of Tucson stated.

To learn more about Proposition 414, a full breakdown of the funding categories as well as the subcategories within each category can be found here.

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