PHOENIX — Maricopa County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to extend an existing one-fifth-of-a-cent sales tax that pays for jails and related justice services for another 20 years.
Proposition 413 would not raise the rate. It renews a levy voters have approved before and that is set to expire in March 2027. Revenue supports operation and maintenance of adult and juvenile detention facilities, construction and renovation, correctional health care, and probation programs aimed at cutting recidivism costs.
Supporters, including a Yes on Prop 413 campaign, say more than 99% of the spending covers services the county is legally required to provide. They argue that letting the tax lapse would force deep service cuts, large property-tax increases, or both.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors placed the measure on the ballot after a citizen Public Safety Funding Committee reviewed options over nearly a year. Backers note the county cannot levy a sales tax without legislative authorization and voter approval.
Opponents of jail-tax extensions often question long-term detention spending and call for alternatives to incarceration. Voters can review the county publicity pamphlet and official ballot language before casting a mail or in-person ballot.
Sources: Yes on Prop 413, AZ Central. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Tony Webster / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
