By Jeremy Duda, Jessica Boehm | Axios
Advocates for extending Proposition 400, a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects in Maricopa County, are eying a 2024 statewide ballot measure after GOP lawmakers concluded their work for the year without reaching an agreement with Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Driving the news: The Legislature approved a bill Tuesday allowing the county to refer a 20-year renewal of the expiring tax to the November 2024 ballot, but Hobbs pledged to veto it.
- Sticking points included how much revenue should go toward public transportation and whether the plan should allow money to be spent to expand light rail.
What’s next: Backers of the proposed statewide citizen initiative are likely to start putting the “building blocks” in place over the next few weeks, Democratic political consultant Joe Wolf, who’s expected to run the campaign, tells Axios Phoenix.
- Wolf believes the “business community will step up” to fund the campaign, which will cost millions.
- Initiative campaigns must collect at least 255,949 valid voter signatures by July 3, 2024, to make the general election ballot.
