Even though voters rejected the half-cent Proposition 469 sales tax to fund the Pinal Regional Transportation Authority last November, Pinal County officials are hopeful its Transportation Improvement and Maintenance Program tax will be renewed before it expires at the end of 2026.
Unlike the Prop 469 request, which was intended for large-scale transportation projects, TIMP has been in place for nearly 40 years and has become an essential part of the County’s road repair and maintenance efforts as well as those of its cities and towns.
Pinal County received $12.2M from the tax in fiscal year 2021. The constituent municipalities received a total of $12.5M.
The tax must be renewed every 20 years. Since the last reauthorization, Pinal County has collected $81M. The County’s total does not include the monies collected by the cities and towns. Casa Grande has collected more than $38M, Maricopa nearly $30M and Florence $22.5M.
Roads in the county currently have an average grade of 62 out of 100. Public Works officials say $13M is needed annually just to maintain that quality.
The so-called “pothole tax” was originally implemented to supplement the state’s $0.19/gallon gas tax, which is the source of Arizona’s Highway User Revenue Fund. The gas tax has not been increased in three decades, and officials say it is insufficient to meet basic needs.
Officials warn the quality of roads will deteriorate if the half-cent tax is not renewed, which could damage County’s economic development efforts. (Source)