PIMA COUNTY (Aug. 20, 2026) -- For more than 30 years, voter-approved Pima bonds have helped Pima County and its partner jurisdictions make major investments in the infrastructure and public facilities residents rely on every day.
Since 1974, Pima County voters have approved 54 bond propositions and questions through 12 countywide elections, authorizing a combined $2.06 billion in General Obligation, Sewer Revenue and Highway User Revenue Fund bonds.
Those investments have translated into more than 700 completed projects, creating thousands of construction-related jobs while improving communities across the county. Projects have been completed not only in unincorporated Pima County, but also within municipalities and tribal areas.
The bond-funded projects span a wide range of community needs, including:
- Libraries and community centers
- Parks, trails and open space
- Public health and medical facilities
- Affordable housing
- Justice and law enforcement facilities
- Historic preservation
- Roads and traffic safety
- Wastewater and sewer improvements
- Flood control and drainage projects
- Neighborhood improvements
- Environmental quality and habitat protection
How Bonds Work
For local governments, voter-approved bonds are a way to finance major capital projects that would be difficult to fund through annual operating revenues alone.
Much like a homeowner uses a mortgage to pay for a major purchase over time, bonds allow the county to spread the cost of expensive infrastructure and facility improvements over a longer period. Pima County typically structures these bonds around a 15-year repayment period, using annual tax revenues to make the payments.
The result is a financing tool that allows communities to make significant investments today while distributing the cost over the useful life of the improvements.
Looking Ahead to 2027
Pima County is now preparing for a proposed bond election in November 2027.
Planning is underway, with a Bond Advisory Committee reviewing potential priorities and providing recommendations. The process offers an opportunity to look at the county's existing infrastructure needs, identify future investments and consider which projects could benefit from voter-approved bond funding.
A Look at What Bonds Have Built
Pima County's completed bond projects provide a broad picture of how these investments have shaped the region. Projects from the 1997, 2004 and 2006 bond elections alone account for more than 700 completed projects.
The county's bond project categories include:
- Bridge and Flood Control
- Environmental Quality
- Public Health, Libraries and Community Facilities
- Historic Preservation
- Housing Reinvestment
- Neighborhood Reinvestment
- Open Space and Habitat Protection
- Parks
- Public Safety and Justice Programs
- Sewer System Improvements
- Transportation Improvements and Traffic Safety
Together, these projects represent more than a list of public works. They are investments in the places where people live, work, travel, learn, receive services and spend time.
As Pima County moves toward the 2027 bond discussion, the history of those investments provides an important starting point: what voters have funded in the past, what those projects have delivered, and what infrastructure needs the community will face next.
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