Board chair previews ballot ask to renew one‑fifth‑cent public safety tax for Maricopa County
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Summary
The board chair told meeting attendees the agenda includes placing a measure on the ballot to ask Maricopa County voters to renew a one‑fifth‑cent public safety tax, saying the levy has funded the sheriff, courts and other partners for nearly 30 years; a Citizens Public Safety Committee recommended continuation.
The board chair said the county will ask voters to consider renewing a one‑fifth‑cent public safety sales tax, highlighting the levy’s long history of supporting law enforcement and courts.
"This tax has provided sustainable public safety funding for nearly 3 decades," the chair said, adding that renewal of the levy is a top priority. The chair told attendees that the item appears on the board agenda later in the day as a ballot‑placement request for Maricopa County voters.
The chair said the tax, first enacted during Governor Brewer’s tenure, "gives the sheriff, the courts, and our other public safety partners the resources they need to keep the entire community safe." The statement framed the renewal as intended to continue existing funding streams for public safety mandates.
The chair also credited action by the 2024 Arizona Legislature and legislative leaders for empowering the county to place the renewal question before voters. A Citizens Public Safety Committee studied the issue and "recommended continuation to fund our public safety mandates," the chair said.
The chair acknowledged East Valley Partnership CEO John Lewis as chair of that advisory committee and asked him to stand to be recognized. The transcript records Lewis’s presence but does not include remarks from him.
The board agenda item is scheduled for consideration this afternoon; the transcript excerpt does not show a vote or formal action on the measure. Details such as the exact ballot language, projected revenue, and how revenue would be allocated among departments were not specified in the excerpt.
