PHOENIX — Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs on Tuesday backed Republicans to extend the long-running 0.5-cent sales tax that funds transportation projects in Arizona’s most populous county and expires at the end of 2025. exercised its right to veto the proposal.
The bill, which was approved in a partisan vote, would have banned the use of sales tax to extend the light rail line to the state capitol in Maricopa County, a bill criticized by Republicans as wasteful.
That would have resulted in more money being spent on highway projects and less money on public transportation than Mr. Hobbes wanted. It would also have increased the speed limit on Maricopa County highways to 105 mph.
“I am dedicated to continuing Arizona’s economic growth, building and attracting businesses, and creating high-paying jobs for Arizona’s workers,” the governor said in a statement. “This partisan bill does nothing of the sort.”
If this proposal had been signed into law, voters would have been asked two questions.
The first question should be whether the majority of tax revenue should be spent on highways, public transport and highways. Voters would then be asked whether the remaining funds should be used to maintain the light rail.
First approved in 1985, the tax helps pay for major highway projects in the Phoenix area, bus services, and the Phoenix area light rail system. Extended in 2004.
The plan is set to expire on January 1, 2026, unless a tax is added to the ballot and voters extend it.
The mayors of four other communities in Phoenix, Mesa, and Maricopa Counties voiced their opposition to the proposal, arguing that the transportation priorities of the bill’s proponents did not match the realities of rapidly growing counties.
Maricopa is the only state in Arizona that must ask Congress for permission to impose a transportation tax on voters.
Last year, Congress passed a sales tax extension, but the proposal was vetoed by Hobbes’ predecessor, Republican Governor Doug Ducey, who rejected the proposal as premature given rising inflation. .
