Business leaders differ with Tucson first responders on Prop 414

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The proposition that offers Tucson voters a “Safe and Vibrant City” has critics in business and leadership saying that it overpromises, under-delivers, and costs too much money.

Supporters range from the mayor to first responders and others in business who say this is the best chance for offering improvements in public safety and housing.

Tucson’s fire and police stood side by side in support of Proposition 414, but opponents said that it doesn’t deliver first responders the pay raises Tucson needs to offer in order to fill vacant positions.

A “Safe and Vibrant City” is what Prop 414 promises by expanding personnel and trucks for firefighters.

“This will help our response time reduction by adding more trucks so we can get people on the scene faster to help the citizens of Tucson,” said Tucson Fire Department Engineer Clayton Black, who is also president of the Tucson Fire Fighters Association.

The proposition includes providing Tucson Police with an airplane for safer pursuits, along with updated vehicles.

“They work out of their car their whole, entire shift, that’s their home, their office while they’re there, so we want to make sure they’re as safe as possible,” explained Tucson Police Sergeant Darrell Hussman, who is president of the Tucson Police Officers Association.

The proposition requires a half-cent sales tax increase over 10 years to raise $80 million a year.

Two-thirds of that would be dedicated to public safety that includes improving communications. About 17 percent would be dedicated to affordable housing and housing services. A similar amount would support neighborhood and community resilience services.

All of these things Mayor Regina Romero explained were requested by community members who spoke up in surveys and meetings conducted by the city.

“This initiative is put together not just on data and results but it is also an initiative that was put together with thousands of Tucsonans giving us their opinion as to what they want to see their city government do,” Romero said.

“Proposition 414’s half-cent sales tax is trying to do too much and with the wrong intentions,” Southern Arizona Leadership Council President and CEO Ted Maxwell said in a rebuttal to the concept.

SALC represents 160 CEOs and business leaders and has supported previous propositions for first responders and street improvements. But this time, Maxwell said that Prop 414 would take Tucson’s overall sales tax rate too high and punish the poor. He said that the mayor and council need to work within the $2.4 billion budget and give first responders needed raises.

“Let us help you look at your budget. Let us explore it. The 2026 budget process just started. You will see organizations like ours be more engaged and that to set the priorities of the city, of the mayor and council, in the budget,” he said in response to what would happen if voters reject Proposition 414 as he and others say voters should do.

Hussman and Black said that about a quarter of police are eligible for retirement and more than half of firefighters will also be so in a few years, but right now they’re asking for voters to help buy the things that they need to serve the community. The two association presidents stood side by side for their message.

“So we’re sticking together, unified as public safety being commo, fire, and TPD, to say that we need this Prop, we need to vote yes, it will help to get us the things we need to serve this community and make it as safe as possible for the place we live in and we all enjoy,” Hussman said, explaining that “commo” means communications professionals.

Another concern is that Tucson will lose about $27 million in state-shared revenues because of moves by previous legislatures. Maxwell said that’s still an amount that the mayor and council can navigate within the budget.

The police officers and firefighters associations hope that with the approval of Prop 414 for money to be spent on the gear, money will be available in the budget for raises.

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