By Bethany Bludell | Maricopa Monitor
With the narrow passing of Propositions 416 and 417, many Pinal County residents are saying the decision shows a “divided county.”
The same is true for Maricopa residents. With widening of State Route 347 as a proposed project, these community members are directly affected by the results of the election. And they stand as divided on the issue as ever.
While Prop. 416, the road plan, passed relatively easily with 57 percent of the vote, the results for Prop. 417, the half-cent sales tax to pay for the plan, were much closer, getting only 51 percent of the vote. Maricopa was actually one of the biggest sources of “yes” votes, with every precinct in the city limits voting in favor, perhaps with SR 347 on voters’ minds.
