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COCONINO COUNTY — A Health and Human Services Open House will be held on from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 2625 N. King St., Flagstaff. Proposition 482, Proposition 487, and Proposition 488 will be on the ballot this year.
“There are many important propositions on the ballot this year,” said Coconino County Elections Director Eslir Musta. “And for some voters, it will be a rather lengthy ballot, so it is imperative that voters take advantage of education opportunities so that they can know their vote before they go to the polls.”
Proposition 482 asks voters to consider a permanent base adjustment to the County’s expenditure limit. This adjustment does not raise or lower taxes in Coconino County, but will increase the County’s expenditure base by $7.7 million. This expenditure base is used to calculate the County’s annual expenditure limit, and has not been adjusted since it was originally set in 1980.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has referred Proposition 482 to the ballot to help the County sustain vital services—such as the Sheriff’s Office, Public Works, Health and Human Services, Parks & Recreation and more—while also allowing the County to effectively utilize voter-approved revenues, such as the 2014 Road Maintenance Sales Tax, for the continued delivery of services.
Coconino County is not alone in seeking such an adjustment. Four Arizona counties—including Apache and Navajo County—have permanently adjusted their expenditure base, and 44 of 91 Arizona cities, including the City of Flagstaff, have done the same.
For more information, visit Coconino.az.gov/Prop482.
Proposition 487 has been referred to the ballot by the City Council of the City of Flagstaff and ask voters to consider continued collection of the City Lodging, Restaurant Transaction Privilege Tax—also known as the Bed Board and Booze (BBB) Tax. This proposition does not ask for an increase in this tax, just that the tax be renewed, as it has reached the end of a fifteen-year, voter-authorized period. At its existing rate of 2%, the BBB Tax funds many programs and services within the City of Flagstaff. If the BBB tax is renewed for another fifteen years, it will provide a dependable source of revenue for parks and recreation, open space, tourism, beautification, economic development, and arts and sciences through June 30, 2043, when it will again be up for renewal by the voters of Flagstaff.
For more information, visit BBBrenewalFlagstaff.com
Proposition 488 was referred to the ballot by the Flagstaff City Council to ask voters if they want to renew the existing transit tax (29.5 cents on a $100 purchase) and increase it by 20.5 cents on a $100 purchase to expand transit. If approved, the new transit tax rate would be 50 cents on a $100 purchase and would be valid through 2040. Proposition 488 would allow Mountain Line to continue its existing level of service and add several improvements to the system, including more frequent bus service, expanded service hours, service to new areas, and the continued transition to an electric fleet.
“Many Flagstaff residents rely on public transit to access work, school, medical care, and other daily activities, and we look forward to sharing information at the Open House on how Proposition 488 could impact the future of transit in Flagstaff,” said Mountain Line CEO and General Manager Heather Dalmolin.
For more information visit MountainLine.az.gov/Prop488
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