2013 OFF-YEAR ELECTION RESULTS TUCSON & MESA
Tuesday was Election Day. With all the partisan issues we have had over the past few years, it’s understandable that many Americans are turned off by politics and politicians these days. Yet, we believe that exercising our right to vote is what makes our nation great. Even though these off-year elections tend to have low participation rates, we believe that these election years may even be more important for ours and our children’s futures and so we vote. Well at least 67,000 of us in Tucson did, less than 30%.
We understand the 70% rest of you may have been suffering government overload, or just didn’t find the time in 3-weeks to mail a ballot.
So we would just like to say thank-you to the 30% who did manage to vote on or before Election Day this year. There were no “I Voted” stickers handed out, so please just know your vote did matter to the rest of us voting. We were always taught, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain, so just remember that right is reserved for those who participated and voiced their opinion through a ballot.
2013 CITY OF TUCSON GENERAL ELECTION: INCUMBENTS WIN, PROPOSITIONS PASS – In Tuesday’s election, incumbent City Council Members Karin Uhlich, Richard Fimbres, and Steve Kozachick were re-elected. Propositions 401 and 402, the City’s expenditure limit increase and general plan, passed. 60,679 ballots have been counted, representing about 27% of registered voters in the City of Tucson. About 6,900 ballots, most of which were turned in by voters yesterday at City polling locations, have yet to be counted. “I think this shows what we’ve been doing these past years has re-earned the trust with many of the voters in Tucson,” said Mayor Jonathan Rothschild. “And it’s a good sign for the future.”
VAIL INCORPORATION EFFORT FAILS – About 56% of voters in the proposed town of Vail said no to incorporation in yesterday’s election. About 44% of the community’s voters turned out for the election. Citizens for Vail, the group behind the incorporation effort, had proposed an initial budget of $3.2M, to be funded by state-shared revenue. An opposition group calling itself Vail Incorporation Facts claimed the proposed budget was unrealistic, and that the proposed town’s budget would not be able to sustain levels of municipal service currently provided by Pima County. Law enforcement, road maintenance and other municipal services provided by Pima County in its unincorporated areas are paid for by taxpayers countywide, including residents of the City of Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson.
SUNNYSIDE OVERRIDE FAILS – 53% of voters in Sunnyside Unified School District said no to a proposed budget override that would have provided an extra $9.3 million annually for seven years. Arizona law limits property tax rates that school districts can impose to fund their budgets. However, the state allows residents to vote for an increase of up to 15 percent on that limit.
MESA VOTERS APPROVE $130M BONDS FOR ROADWAY AND PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS – Voters in the City of Mesa approved two bond questions to fund street and public-safety projects. With 96% of the city’s precincts reporting, plus early ballots, the unofficial returns showed “yes” leading 55.7% to 44.3% for Question 1, which would authorize $51.7 million in capital spending for the police and fire departments. Question 2, authorizing $79.1 million for streets and related infrastructure, had received 56% in favor and 44% opposed.