The Pima County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to approve sending a bond package stuffed with special interest groups’ projects to the voters November 3, 2015. The package was approved on March 13, 2015, by the Pima County Bond Advisory Committee (BAC).
The BAC recommended specific projects totaling $653,264,863. According to Supervisor Ally Miller, the cost to the average homeowner with a home assessed at $250K will be about $112 per year for this bond. The cost to hold an election for the proposed $815.8 million is about $2.3 million. Should voters approve the bond, Pima County will be at the maximum cap for the secondary property tax rate (set by the Supervisors in 2004 at $.8150), and the length of the bond program could last up to 20 years.
Miller was the only Supervisor who voted in favor of fiscal restraint, with her “no’ vote.
The bond package resolution includes seven ballot propositions; which, if approved by voters, would authorize the County to sell $815.8 million in general obligation bonds for purposes defined by each proposition. This is $162.5 million more than recommended by the BAC, and the differences are explained in this memorandum. The ballot propositions are the product of consultation between bond counsel and staff to bundle similar projects under separate bond questions as required by State statute. By adopting this resolution, the Board would be ordering the election and approving the following seven ballot propositions:
Table 1: Proposed General Obligation Bond Ballot Propositions and Amounts
| Proposition Bond | Funding |
| Proposition 425: Road and Highway Improvements | $200,000,000 |
| Proposition 426: Economic Development, Libraries and Workforce Training | $91,375,000 |
| Proposition 427: Tourism Promotion | $98,600,000 |
| Proposition 428: Parks and Recreation | $191,500,000 |
| Proposition 429: Public Health, Welfare, Safety, Neighborhoods and Housing | $105,300,000 |
| Proposition 430: Natural Area Conservation and Historic Preservation | $112,050,000 |
| Proposition 431: Flood Control and Drainage | $16,935,000 |
| Total | $815,760,000 |
For more details visit:
- Proposition 425 Road and Highway Improvements
- Proposition 426 Economic Development, Libraries and Workforce Training
- Proposition 427 Tourism Promotion
- Proposition 428 Parks and Recreation
- Proposition 429 Public Health, Welfare, Safety, Neighborhoods and Housing
- Proposition 430 Natural Area Conservation and Historic Preservation
- Proposition 431 Flood Control and Drainage
- Project Location Map