By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2 and Mary Goldmeer

An extension of an existing Maricopa County sales tax will be on the ballot in the upcoming general election — and proponents say there’s a lot riding on it.

Proposition 479 is a proposed 20-year extension of the existing half-cent sales tax in Maricopa County dedicated to funding transportation projects. It extends the tax approved in 1985 and renewed in 2004 with voters’ approval of Proposition 400.

Major projects listed as funded by Proposition 479 include completing State Route 24 in the southeast Valley, completing the State Route 30 “Tres Rios Freeway” as an Interstate 10 reliever in the Southwest Valley from Interstate 17 to Loop 303 and widening I-10 from I-17 to Loop 101 through West Phoenix, Tolleson and parts of Avondale.

The funding coming from proposition 479 would support projects, including $2.12 billion for the Goodyear-Avondale section of State Route 30, improvements to arterial streets and public transit enhancements. If passed, it would maintain transportation services, including ADA compliance programs, improving accessibility for residents with disabilities. The measure aims to enhance regional transportation infrastructure and services in Goodyear.

“(Proposition 479 deals with) more than just moving people. It deals with quality-of-life issues,” said Joe Pizzillo, Goodyear’s Mayor. “We’re maintaining and expanding roads to avoid gridlock and for public safety and emergency response times.”

There also are provisions to fund the ultimate buildout of the Northern Parkway interchange at Loop 303 and to widen Loop 101 from I-10 to the 75th Avenue exit.

In addition to a long list of state and interstate freeway and highway improvements in the county, there is a list, in the Proposition 479 publicity pamphlet list of arterial street enhancements to “enhance connectivity to and from the regional freeway system.”

“If the proposition doesn’t pass, what you’re going to see is that I-10 is going to turn into a parking lot.” Pizzillo said.

The tax was first approved by voters in 1985 with the approval of Proposition 300 and, after the original Proposition 400 extension proposal was rejected by voters in 1994, a 20-year extension passed by a 58%-42% margin in November 2004.

The extension choice for Maricopa County voters was placed there by the Arizona legislature in 2023 with Gov. Katie Hobbs signing that referendum opportunity into law a short time later. The legislature sent a similar bill to then-Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk in 2022, but in a surprise move, Ducey, the term-limited governor, made one of his final acts on legislation a veto of taking the half-cent sales tax back to Maricopa County voters.

If the latest 20-year extension fails, on the Nov. 5 ballot, the tax will be discontinued at the end of 2025, apparently leaving dozens of major projects without funding.

Goodyear is expanding, and with that expansion comes traffic Pizzillo said: “If at all possible, we want to stay ahead of the growth”

Opponents of the measure, of which there are three listed in the Proposition 479 publicity pamphlet, claim too much money and proportion of the tax will go to underused public transportation, both bus and light rail.

Opponents include local leaders of Arizona Free Enterprise groups and president and vice president of the Goldwater Institute.

Proponents include dozens of Valley mayors, including Peoria’s Jason Beck, and includes mayors and other leaders of cities and towns large and small, from Phoenix and Chandler to Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, Youngtown and Litchfield Park.

There are also endorsements of passing Proposition 479 from chamber of commerce and business organization leaders.

In Beck’s letter — co-signed by Connect Maricopa co-chair and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona CEO Pam Kehaly — the prohibition of 479 fund use for new light rail construction is mentioned.

“It prohibits the use of the tax to expand light grail, commuter rails, trolleys, streetcars,” the letter states.

Beck and Kehaly’s letter points out some West Valley improvements listed in proposition 479 plans that are needed to maintain infrastructure already built.
“Proposition includes more than $170 million for important Peoria expansions,” the letter states. “These include 107th Avenue, Lake Pleasant Parkway, Thunderbird Road and others.”

Surprise Vice Mayor Nicholas Haney wrote a support letter that points out Loop 303 was basically built with proposition 400 funds. He said full buildout of the Loop 303-U.S. 60 interchange, the addition of a Litchfield Road exit off Loop 303 and significant improvements to El Mirage Road are on a long list of projects to be funded by the passage of proposition 479.

The bill to put the Proposition 400 extension on county voters’ ballots had wide state legislature support, passing 43-14 in the House and 19-7 in the Senate.

MAIN PROVISIONS OF PROPOSITION 479

• Freeways and State Highway System: 40.5% for the development and expansion, including new freeways and improvements to existing routes.
• Public Transportation: 37% dedicated to public transit options across the county.
• Arterial Streets and Regional Transportation Infrastructure: 22.5% allocated for street improvements, intersection upgrades, and other infrastructure projects.

Jason W. Brooks
Associate Editor

Jason W. Brooks is a News editor for the Daily Independent and the Chandler Independent.

He covers the Chandler area for both yourvalley.net and the monthly print edition while writing for and assisting in the production of the Daily Independent.

Brooks is a well-traveled journalist who has documented life in small American communities in nearly all U.S. time zones.

Born in Washington, D.C. and raised there and in suburban Los Angeles, he has covered community news in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and northern Arizona.