Tempe voters to decide November sales tax hike for public safety, transit and preschool

Tempe voters will decide in November whether to approve a tax hike to help pay for public safety, transportation and early childhood care and preschool education.

The Tempe City Council voted 6-1 on Thursday to send the 0.5% sales tax measure to the Nov. 3 ballot.

Under the proposal, the added revenue would be divided into three parts: 0.3% for public safety, 0.1% for transportation and 0.1% for early childhood care and preschool. Groceries and other home-prepared food items would be exempt.

The tax would add 50 cents to every $100 spent.

City officials say the measure is needed to replace revenue lost after the state cut into Tempe’s budget, including the elimination of the residential rental tax and reductions in shared revenue.

If approved, where would the Tempe sales tax money go?

If approved, the money gets divvied up between police, fire services, park rangers and safety-related design projects, while also supporting transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements. It also would expand free and reduced-cost early childhood care and preschool programs for children up to age 5.

Tempe families would get first priority for those childcare and preschool opportunities, followed by teachers in Tempe school districts, city employees and then workers at Tempe-based businesses, officials said.

City leaders are making the case that the added revenue would improve emergency response times, protect parks and stabilize the budget. Without it, officials warned, the city could face cuts that may include fewer police officers and firefighters, reduced transportation services, shorter library and community center hours, and scaled-back community programs.

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