Take just one drive down Colossal Cave Road and you’ll know how rough our roads are in Vail. Potholes, poor paving, and backed up traffic cause additional frustration to morning commutes.

Recently, District 4 Supervisor, Ray Carroll has made the rounds to community groups to discuss the transportation plans and spread the word about how his team plans to fix our Vail roads. This project, according to his estimates, will require $30 million a year in funding for 10 years. This figure accounts for inflation and other projected cost increase over the decade long roadwork. It does not include the estimated $28 million needed for maintenance and preservation costs.

In a brochure passed out by Supervisor Ray Carroll and his team, the headline reads, “The answer to fixing our roads is clear: It will take more money.” There are several ways that the county is considering to get the money needed to fix our roads.

1. Gas Tax Increase

In a recent presentation to the Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce, Supervisor Ray Carroll cited the following:

  • State gas tax has not been raised since 1991
  • Federal gas tax hasn’t been raised since 1993

Pima County is behind the curve when it comes to gas tax increases. This is the solution that has the biggest support from Supervisor Ray Carroll and his team.

That’s because, “People who drive more, pay more,” according to Supervisor Ray Carroll. In the brochure passed out by the County, a comparison showed that raising the gas tax would equate to an average increase in $5.70 per month – that is, if your gas bill is only an average of $10.79.

2. Property Tax Increase

Pima County has lowered its workforce by more than 1,000 employees and its budget by more than $300 million since 2007. Another way to generate extra income to fund the transportation project is to raise the property tax.

As outlined in the literature distributed by Supervisor Ray Carroll, the state limits how much property tax the county can impose each year. At its maximum, the increase would not yield enough additional revenue to cover the costs of the transportation project.

3. Sales Tax for County Roads

Pima County does not have a countywide sales tax – yet. We’re the only Arizona county without this sales tax. With an additional half-cent sales tax for county roads, there would be more than enough money generated over 10 years to cover the costs of this repair. The excess could help reduce the amount of property tax in the County.

Colossal Cave Road Repair Project

These additional taxes would contribute to countywide road repairs. In our backyard, the primary focus is on the Colossal Cave road repair project.

This project has begun. The funds to upgrade Colossal Cave Road came from the General Fund, as well as a contribution from the Vail School District. In 2015, the county is working to adjust utility lines and set the stage for the construction to begin. It is likely that repairs will not get started until 2016.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Share your voice and your opinion on the transportation funding plans for Vail and road repair projects. Contact our elected officials and share what you would like to see happen in terms of funding and repairs in Pima County and Vail.

District 4 Representative Ray Carroll
district4@pimacounty.gov
(520) 724-8094

Arizona Governor
(520) 628-6580

Arizona Legislature
800-352-8404

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Lucretia Free