Supporters are ratcheting up an expensive campaign to secure voter approval of the $815 million in bonds. While there are worthwhile projects included, the county leadership is sending out misleading information about benefits and costs of this largest bond measure in Pima County history.
The real story of the bonds and their actual cost is found in the details of the 180-page “Bond Implementation Plan.” While most of the public probably won’t read the ordinance, elected officials must fully understand these details.
As currently conceived, these bonds will not help our communities move in the right direction. The bond package favors special interests, some of whom are large contributors to the “yes” campaign, at the expense of the community.
The county has provided dubious estimates on what the projects will cost homeowners. The county projects an interest rate of 2.78 percent to 3.45 percent to calculate what debt service costs will be. These historically low rates are unlikely to remain in place for the next 27 years.
A closer look at the propositions shows you will actually be voting to authorize the county to borrow up to an 8 percent interest rate. The result will be a large increase in debt of the county and an additional tax burden on all of us. Children born today will be paying off this debt until they are 27 years old!
Space doesn’t allow us to examine all 99 bond projects here but we must mention a couple. The “Road and Highway Improvements” proposition sounds worthwhile until one looks at the details. This package includes $10 million for a “Science Park Drive” at University of Arizona’s tech park.
The tech park is operated by a “nonprofit” Campus Research Corporation that takes in $12 million yearly from tenants while competing with the private sector leasing industrial space to businesses. They pay no property tax and yet taxpayers are asked to give them a free road, a new building, and a YMCA. And we are asking private sector businesses to subsidize their competition through higher taxes.
And $160 million has been identified for much-needed road maintenance. Looking at the repair maps on the county website, you might think every road in the county would be repaired … until you realize there is only enough money to fix a small percentage of the roads. Even the county administrator calls bond money for roads “grossly inadequate.”
When the special interests who will benefit from bond projects complained about project timelines, the bulk of the road repair money was moved back to FY 2021 so their pet projects could be moved up — with road repairs completed in 2028.
A map was posted with roads highlighted for repair. In response to a request for a list of roads, the mileage, and what type of repairs would be done for each road, the county administrator made it clear that this will not be determined until after the bond election. We don’t really know what we’re voting on.
Please read the propositions before you vote. They authorize the monies to be spent over 20 years, not 12. The actual text of the bond propositions is what we will get if they are passed, not vaguely worded politically expedient promises.
As a diverse group of community leaders who have studied the details, costs, and benefits of these bonds we recommend that you vote no on all seven propositions.
