Some registered voters in southern Arizona will soon receive their ballots in the mail.

Cochise County and the City of Tucson will hold two separate all-mail special elections in mid-May.

In Tucson, voters decide whether to renew Tucson Electric Power’s contract to use the city-owned easement for an additional 25 years. The new agreement will add tolls to fund large-scale powerline projects through downtown Tucson and also fund the city’s climate initiative coffers.

Proposition 412 adds a “community resilience fee” of 0.75% while continuing existing franchise fees.

according to [TEP’s Yes on 412 website, the proposition has endorsements from Mayor Regina Romero and four of six city council members.

Among the council members who have not taken a position on the matter is Ward Six’s Steve Kozachik, whose office was the site of an information session Tuesday night.

While some in the in-person crowd were there to learn and speak with TEP representatives, many were skeptics.

“I don’t think I’ll support [Prop 412]Given the urgency of climate change and the great opportunity this is, I think we need to take a stronger stance on climate change. [for] Joe Cylins, who is active on environmental issues in various regions, including the Tucson Climate Coalition, said:

Ojas Sangi, a member of the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, speaks out against the rapid pace of the special election convened by the Tucson City Council.

“I’ve had very little time to research and read what this 25-year deal with TEP is actually going to do,” said its green energy portfolio. “This is an excellent opportunity for TEP to commit to climate neutrality and reduced carbon emissions, and nothing concrete to do so.”

TEP said the agreement will increase the resilience of Midtown Tucson and the University of Arizona area by installing a new 138-kilovolt transmission line from a substation near Kino Boulevard and 36th Street to another substation near Grant. said it was about a project to secure. U.S. Route 10 and Interstate 10 while adding a new substation near Banner University Medical Center.

It will also fill in some power lines along the gateway corridor in the midtown area.

TEP spokesperson Joseph Barrios said, “This really supports maintaining reliable service to our customers, especially across the Midtown area, and supports our future energy needs.”

He said the increase would make the system more resilient.

Barrios said: “We’ve been talking about the Kino-to-DMP service line for years, and when we first started talking about it, we planned to have it up and running by this summer.”

Barrios said a “No” vote would only change how TEP secures power delivery in the Midtown area, with the new rates limited to customers within the city of Tucson.

The utility also has a rate change pending before the Arizona Business Commission.

Voters in the southeast corner of the state will also see special mail-in-only elections.

They question whether to add a new excise tax to replace new county jail facilities that are 20 years past their expected useful life and routinely hold more than double the number of inmates for which they were designed. vote

Cochise County voters will also have the opportunity to voice their wishes for additional taxes that will help build new prisons.

Current prisons are outdated and overcrowded. Click here for more information on this issue.