Proposition 486 seeks to continue Pinal County’s half-cent road tax

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

Pinal County’s half-cent excise tax for road maintenance originally passed in 1986, was renewed in 2005, and is set to expire at the end of 2026 unless it is approved by voters Nov. 5.

A “yes” vote extends the tax until 2046. The 20-year continuation of the tax is projected to generate $800 million to $1.2 billion in revenue and be used for road repair, pothole repair, road widening, road preservation, new road construction, intersection improvements and traffic safety improvements, according to Pinal County.

Pinal County District 5 Supervisor Jeff Serdy. (Pinal County)

“This is not a new tax but one that has been in place for decades. It is one of the main funding sources for the road maintenance and emergency repairs that Pinal County does now,” Pinal County District 5 Supervisor Jeff Serdy said.

“If it does not pass there is a chance that the service public works provides takes a step backwards,” he said.

District 5 encompasses Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Queen Valley, Superior, Top of the World, Kearny, Winkelman and Dudleyville.

The mayors for the town of Queen Creek and the city of Apache Junction also say they are in favor of the continuation of the sales tax and urge voters to approve it.

Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley​​​ (Timothy King)

Timothy King

Given the rapid grown of the town of Queen Creek and the surrounding area, transportation continues to be a top priority, Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley​​​ said.

“Proposition 486, the extension of a half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation maintenance, provides funding dedicated to roadway maintenance for municipalities in Pinal County and roadways in unincorporated Pinal County. This funding helps pay for roadway improvements in the town boundaries that are located in Pinal County — like the recent Ocotillo Road widening west of Ironwood,” she said.

“The continuation of the half-cent sales tax will result in the Town of Queen Creek receiving a proportionate share of the funding for continued investment in our roadways to improve transportation and safety,” she said.

The town of Queen Creek is primarily in Maricopa County but also includes a portion of Pinal County. For the city of Apache Junction, the opposite is true — it is primarily in Pinal County and a portion in Maricopa County.

Apache Junction Mayor Chip Wilson (Apache Junction)

The city of Apache Junction receives about $4 million from the Pinal County half-cent road tax each year, Mayor Chip Wilson said.

“Why should voters approve Proposition 486? The safety and economic success of our community relies on well-maintained roads, and these funds ensure we can uphold our commitment to safe and efficient transportation. Voting ‘yes’ on Proposition 486 is not an approval of a new tax, but a continuation of funding that has been in place with voter support since 1986,” he said.

“This funding amounts to approximately $4 million annually for the city of Apache Junction, the majority of which is used for pavement maintenance. Again it is not a new tax just the continuation of a tax that is used to maintain our current roads throughout Pinal County to include Gold Canyon and our community,” Wilson said.

The upkeep of local roads is more cost-effective than having to replace them in the future, he said.

“Funds generated from Proposition 486 serve as our largest source of revenue to perform vital road maintenance. Maintaining this infrastructure on an ongoing basis is far more sustainable and fiscally responsible than allowing it to deteriorate, which would create far more costly repairs and replacement costs in the long run,” Wilson said.

Key projects completed in Apache Junction with the funds include the overlay of Lost Dutchman Boulevard, paving of the Haven Hollow and Azure Skies subdivision roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act sidewalk ramp upgrades to ensure compliance with federal law, he said.

“This year’s planned projects include an ultra-thin overlay on Ironwood Avenue between Apache Trail and Superstition and an overlay on Broadway from Meridian to Idaho,” Wilson said. “Without continued voter approval of this half-cent road tax, Apache Junction would not only lose a major source of funding for critical road maintenance, but resident safety, tourism and economic vitality would be greatly impacted.”

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.