Proposition 310 - Arizona Fire District Safety Act

Summary

A "yes" vote shall have the effect of establishing a Fire District Safety Fund; increasing the Transaction Privilege (Sales) and Use Tax by one-tenth of one percent from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2042 to pay for the Fund; and distributing monies from the Fund to fire districts on a monthly basis.

A "no" vote shall have the effect of retaining existing law on tax rates and funding for fire districts.

Arguments

""The next time you spend 10 bucks at McDonald's, Prop 310 will cost you a penny. In return, the next time you drive from the Valley to the White Mountains, Flagstaff or Tucson, or travel for a weekend in San Diego or Vegas, the fire districts you pass through will be far better prepared should you face an emergency. Over the past five years, we've had about 2,000 fatalities and 30,000 injuries in vehicle crashes on Arizona's rural roads. Over the same time, fire districts have fought wildfires that have claimed more than 2.2 million acres statewide. These struggling first responders need our help. Please vote YES on Proposition 310 to solve this crisis."" - Bryan Jeffries, President of Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, in support of Proposition 310 (Learn more)

""Fire District funding is primarily based on residential property tax. When funding falls short in a municipality, other funding mechanisms exist to cover unexpected expenses; this is not true for Fire Districts. All Arizona firefighters work the same job providing fire and life safety service delivery, yet Fire District personnel work with fewer resources and less security. Once you leave a city's boundary, most likely, you are in an area served by a Fire District. Vehicle accidents, medical emergencies, and fires still occur; having an adequately funded Fire District only ensures better outcomes for those areas served. Proposition 310 is directly beneficial to Fire Districts with a clear line of distribution without the red tape. Despite being a small increase, the funding made available through this Proposition will significantly assist ALL Arizona Fire Districts."" - John Whitney IV, Fire Chief of the Superstition Fire & Medical District, in support of Proposition 310 (Learn more)

"This proposition is at its core a 20-year commitment to a state-wide sales tax increase meant as a taxpayer bailout for fire districts. This proposition discourages fiscal responsibility in these fire districts and incentivizes each one to increase spending now that they are given access to a statewide pool of taxpayer funds. To put it simply, residents in Phoenix and Tucson shouldn't be paying for the wealthy and affluent fire districts of Sedona. This is a slippery slope and sets a bad precedent. The Republican Party of Arizona asks you to vote No on this proposition." - Dr. Kelli Ward, Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Arizona, LLC., and Yvonne Cahill, Secretary of the Republican Party of Arizona, LLC, in opposition to Proposition 310 (Learn more)

""Citizens in the urban areas of our state choose to live in cities and pay taxes for the services those cities have to offer. People such as me choose to live in a rural community, understanding the difference in service, taxation, and lifestyle will be quite different. We do not want or expect the taxpayers in urban Arizona to subsidize our way of life nor solve our problems. I urge you to VOTE NO on Prop 310. This is the wrong solution at the wrong time."" - Warde Nichols, in opposition to Proposition 310 (Learn more)

Measure Details