San Tan Valley voters to decide whether to approve Proposition 495 and incorporate as a town

PHOENIX — A major vote is taking place Tuesday in Pinal County.

Voters in San Tan Valley are voting on Proposition 495, which would decide whether to make the unincorporated area, which has a population of more than 100,000 people, a town.

The initiative would make the community, which lies between the towns of Florence and Queen Creek, Arizona’s 92nd incorporated municipality as of July 1, 2026.

This would allow the new town to create its own government, including the addition of a mayor and town council, and create its own fire department and police force, instead of relying on departments such as Rural Metro Fire and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office for coverage.

It would also give the town more control over tax dollars paid by residents of San Tan Valley.

San Tan Valley, Inc. (STV), the organization leading the campaign to approve Proposition 495, says on its website that people in San Tan Valley currently pay $51 million in sales, gas, vehicle and income taxes, which then leave the community and go to cities such as Phoenix, Tucson and Mesa.

San Tan Valley would be the largest area to incorporate in state history if the vote passes, according to Pinal County.

Are you a current resident of San Tan Valley? Learn more from Recorder Dana Lewis about the upcoming election on August 5 for the incorporation of San Tan Valley, known as Proposition 495. 🗳️

For more information, visit https://t.co/NqVt6IMzo0. pic.twitter.com/OLyFEhJriH

— Pinal VOTES (@PinalVotes) July 26, 2025

How did Proposition 495 get on the ballot in San Tan Valley?

Work has been underway on Proposition 495 since 2024, when the town of Gilbert and city of Mesa passed resolutions saying they approved of San Tan Valley incorporating as a town.

In October 2024, STV began collecting signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. More than 10% of registered voters were required to sign the petition.

In April, STV submitted more than 10,000 signatures to the Pinal County Board of Elections, of which more than 6,100 were approved, officially sending Proposition 495 to voters for approval.

Has San Tan Valley tried to incorporate before?

This is not the first attempt at incorporating San Tan Valley, but all have failed, mainly due to opposition from nearby towns.

The first two attempts to incorporate came in 2004 and 2010. Both were opposed by the town of Florence.

A third attempt at incorporation in 2018 was rejected by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors due to an issue with a petition application.

In 2022, then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2455 into law. That bill changed the process for incorporating a city or town by making it so fewer nearby cities or towns needed to approve a request for incorporation.

Due to that change, San Tan Valley only needed approval from the largest neighboring cities or towns, which are Gilbert and Mesa.

Who is supporting Proposition 495 in San Tan Valley?

The proposition is being supported by Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke, former Mesa Mayor John Giles, former Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio and Queen Creek Mayor Julia Wheatley.

Who is opposing Proposition 495 in San Tan Valley?

There is no organized opposition effort to the initiative.

Who can vote in the Proposition 495 election in San Tan Valley?

Anyone who lives within the proposed boundaries of the town of San Tan Valley is eligible to vote.

There are 14 precincts open for in-person voting on Tuesday across San Tan Valley; a full list can be found on Pinal County’s website.

Polls will close at 7 p.m. and the first round of results is expected to be released around 8 p.m.

The first round of results will include more than 10,000 early ballots that have already been submitted.

Results will be published on the county website.

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