Southern Arizona’s Legislative District 2 boundaries include much of the fifth poorest metropolitan area in the country and extend all the way to Nogales and the international border, so the decision to pass resolution in opposition to the entire proposed 2015 Pima Bond package was not a surprise.
Standing up for the hard-pressed residents of LD2, the AZ-LD2 Executive Committee passed the resolution following a Pima County Bond forum on Saturday at Quail Creek in Green Valley, AZ.
“Our analysis tells us that adding further debt for Pima County with current debt of $1.3 billion is an issue which we can adamantly oppose for all voters,” said the LD2 spokesman statement.
The group believes that voting at this time to pass an additional $816 million debt not paid until 2034 is “short-sighted and detrimental to the financial well-being of our local businesses and communities. We cannot allow emotion to overcome practicality.”
The GOP Legislative District 2 Southern Arizona boundaries begin at the foot of Davis-Monthan and go all the way to Nogales and the international border.
According to souces, Legislative District 9 passed a similar resolution.
The LD2 resolution reads:
Resolution of Arizona Legislative District 2 in opposition to Pima County’s 2015 Bond Package
Preface: In April 2015, when the Pima County Board of Supervisors moved to pass the seven-part $815 million bond package to voters for the November 2015 ballot, they were unduly influenced by frequent and multiple weekly personal testimony from non-profit organizations, charities, churches and private businesses asking for taxpayer money at the PCBOS meetings held on the first three Tuesday of each month at 9 am.
Whereas, all taxpayers in Pima County demand Truth in Voting knowing that a bond is a tax increase.
Whereas, Pima County has a long history of breach of trust by not delivering promised 8 year step salary raises to Pima County Sheriff deputies.
Whereas, Pima County has demonstrated a complete and utter disregard for 80% of county citizens demanding road repair.
Whereas, Pima County Arizona property owners and businesses are burdened with current debt of $1.3 BILLION
Whereas, adding $815 MILLION additional debt in the seven-part bond package will bring the total debt that taxpayers have to repay to $2.1 BILLION, not including interest or operation and maintenance, another tax burden to come.
Whereas, the Pima County Board of Supervisors passed a budget of $1.16 BILLION on June 16, 2015 raising the property tax rate to 9.165 and raising the library tax .08 per $100 assessed value knowing that raising property and personal taxes is contingent on passage of the bond.
Whereas, Pima County explicitly allows itself to opt out of any commitment to the voters in the fine print of the bond package by saying “these projects are not mapped as locations will not be determined until after the election.”
Whereas, Pima County board of Supervisors has shown historically and by its actions that is cannot be trusted to administer more taxpayer money or attract more business to our area with its hostile to business policies.
Therefore it is Resolved:
We the Executive Committee of Legislative District 2 affirm and declare our opposition to the 2015 Pima Bonds. We applaud District 1 Supervisor Ally Miller’s decision to stand firm against the Pima Bonds.
LD2 Chairman: Sergio Arellano
1st Vice-Chair: Yale Wishnick
Secretary: Angie Anderson
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