TCFC WINS on Prop 312; FREE CRIME BUS WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL; New "ROMERO TAX" on BALLOT THIS SPRING
Proposition 312 Passed
THANK YOU FROM TUCSON CRIME FREE COALITION!
TOGETHER, WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. TCFC and its members were a driving force that propelled this proposition to victory!
IT PASSED Statewide and IN PIMA COUNTY where it passed with a margin of nearly 9% indicating our elected leaders including but not limited to Tucson Mayor Regina Romero who publicly opposed Prop 312 are not in-sync with the voters on this issue. The passage of Prop 312 reflects the reality on the streets. Tucson is dying, our current electeds are failing us, and the public wants accountability.
TCFC worked tirelessly on this proposition along with the Goldwater Institute of Phoenix. We spoke with countless TCFC members to gather support and it is because of all of us this proposition will go into effect in January. Is it perfect? Certainly, not. It is however, a step in the right direction and will hopefully provide some relief to those of us who have been suffering under the current local government.
This proposition is a REACTION to city elected leaders not addressing our concerns and not providing real solutions like supporting the Pima County Transition Center to prevent property damage by those suffering from substance use disorder causing property damage to support their disease.
*Keeping neighborhoods safe
* Protecting AZ Taxpayers
* Preserves public health
* Ensures government is doing its job by reimbursing property taxes if the government’s failure to enforce its own laws results in economic hardship to tax payers.
What is Prop 312 That Passed in November? Questions Answered
This proposition will allow property owners (businesses or homeowners) in the city or county to apply for a tax refund when your city or county does not enforce laws regarding possession or use of illegal drugs, public urination or defecation, public consumption of alcohol, illegal camping, loitering, panhandling, obstructing public thoroughfares. A property tax owner can apply for a refund in property taxes to cover the direct costs a homeowner or business has been forced to undertake to mitigate the monetary damages if your local government has undertaken a policy, pattern or practice of not enforcing public nuisance law. You must provide documented expenses to evidence the damage to your property as a result.
When does Prop 312 Start?
In January 2025
How often can you apply for this refund?
Once every tax year
Is there a maximum amount I can apply for?
The amount cannot exceed your property tax amount. Any excess amount can be rolled into the next tax year.
How do you apply for a tax refund?
You can apply for a refund with the AZ Department of Revenue. You will need to have your documented expenses. Save all receipts and call 911 - even though you know an officer or deputy may not arrive. Keep a record of your calls. If you report online keep the # of your report
What happens after you apply for a refund?
After you apply for a refund, the city or county has 30 days to accept or reject the refund. If the refund is accepted, it will be paid to the property owner. Expect Pima County to initially reject all claims as a matter of practice. If the refund is rejected, the property owner can file a lawsuit in the superior county of the county to challenge the rejection. If the city or county does not respond after 30 days, the property owner will receive a refund. If the documented costs are more than the amount of the most recent property tax bill, the property owner would be permitted to apply for a refund from their next property tax payment to cover the balance of the initial claim. Property owners would be eligible annually for refunds until the taxing entity begins enforcing the relevant public nuisance laws.
Expectations?
Expect statewide litigation, bureaucratic delays, confusion, and a ton of uncertainty. TCFC will remain fully engaged and will continue to advocate on behalf of its membership.
Criminals cut into wall
Criminals stole copper telephone wire
Criminals are stealing street 
Street Light copper wire cut and stolen. We now have dark streets in our neighborhoods
MAYOR and COUNCIL continue FREE CRIME BUS to 2026 while asking for New "ROMERO TAX" to Cover it and other PET PROJECTS where as costs are being shifted to General Fund
New REGRESSIVE "ROMERO TAX" WILL HURT those already struggling
Mayor and Council voted recently to continue taking money from the General Fund to cover the FREE CRIME BUS Tucson can't afford. The City moved the FREE CRIME BUS into the general fund to hide the fact they cannot fund it without a TAX INCREASE. The "ROMERO TAX" Increase will go to the Ballot this Spring will add 0.5% to all purchases in the City. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE 0.5% continuation of the tax for public transportation.
Tim Steller with the Arizona Daily Star proposes that if Mayor and Council really think the voters want to pay for a FREE CRIME BUS then we should be allowed to vote on it. Here are some excerpts from his article: CLICK HERE: Let the voters decide on Tucson's fare-free transit
"To start off their last study session, city officials came to the mayor and council’s table and offered a menu of unappetizing options to pay for fare-free bus rides.
A new tax on rental cars would require a change in state law for this purpose. So would the formation of a special taxing district, as would other options.
Probably not gonna happen.
We could raise the hotel/motel surcharge, or the tax on public utilities, but those are already among the highest rates in the state.
We can beg the University of Arizona, Pima Community College and the school districts, but they’re under no obligation to help out, even though they do benefit heavily from free transit.
The mayor and some members of the council considered the whole topic at the Nov. 19 meeting to be premature and, it seemed to my ear, annoying.
[...] Next year, there are two tax elections, one for Tucson voters, and one for all Pima County voters that could absorb this cost. That way, too, voters could have a chance to weigh in on whether we want to pay for the idea.
It’s something Tucsonans talk about, perhaps because they think fares used to cover most or all of the cost of transit before the city went fare-free in 2020. That’s not true: Fares only covered a small portion of the cost of the transit system in the times before pandemic funding from the federal government allowed the city to go fare-free.
Fares covered around 10% of the cost of the entire transit system when Tucson decided to start covering the cost itself in 2023. At that time, the cost of not having fares was about $9.1 million, the city estimated."
KEVIN DAILY wins 4 MORE Years on the Flowing Wells School Board
TCFC congratulates Kevin Daily, for his November win of another term on the Flowing Wells School Board. Congratulations Kevin!
Remember that riot several months ago where all of 3 people were arrested. Gabriel Parks, Hassan Hassan and Arlene Villalobos, charged with arson of an occupied structure, conspiracy, riot, etc., downtown, all felony charges. Were those charges dismissed 9-25 and 9-26-24? All of them? If so, does anyone know what happened?
See:
Roe v City and County of San Francisco, Case No. 24-cv-01562-JST, working its way through the courts. Personal Liability. Keep your eye on this one. (Defund the police, an intentional series of actions by our “leaders” has put us in this position)
Soo we pass a bill that might reimburse business owners for losses sustained because of the intentional, or incompetent, actions of our City “leaders”. Who pays? The city leaders?? No no no.
You and I pay. Where is that reimbursement money going to come from?? Raise our taxes again, maybe? Misdirect funds from legitimate sources to this source?
Until we pass legislation which makes city “leaders” personally responsible for their actions, “Public Officials Endangering Public Safety”, it’s not going to change. We really can’t go on like this. Our city is being destroyed.
The free bus rides aren’t free!!! They are costing the tax payer 30 million a year now plus all our property damages on top as well🤔?!?! Now if we took the 30 million and put that towards building a healthy rehab center not near housing or businesses , close boarders,make it illegal like the county to be on corners etc no going into bus unhealthy stealing, no moe free grocery carts , but instead a much safer Enviorment then sponsorship and guidness when leaving so if failure occurs they go back to start over. Prision shave been empty here for at least 2 years they cost money to run. So now instead the pension funding, SS checks, retirement checks, acsess, Altec etc from each person entering would now go to maintaining the facility.
This is the first step towards turning the decline of our city around.. Thank you to everyone for getting out the vote!! I personally have 30+ multi-family properties in Tucson and have had multiple break-ins just in the past month…All of which have cost me money… I call 311/911 regularly to report homeless trespassing, visibly doing drugs on our buss stops..in the alleyways at my properties and often passed out or dead in various parts of the city… Truthfully, TPD has been more responsive lately but far from getting the sick individuals off the streets and into rehab or jail… I recently rehabbed a distressed property on Yavapai, near the corner of 1st and Fort Lowell. Over the past 6-9 months during rehab the homeless problem has become worse…I have called TPD numerous times due to trespassing and recently vandalism and burglary. I installed cameras but they were, ironically, stollen within a week!! Then had the casita broken into and the water heater was stolen…I’ve had to reduce the sales price, below FHA valuation, several times now. Potential buyers love the remodel but are frightened off by the homeless day and night on the property and neighborhood…I’m looking forward to recording all these costs and expenses and will be putting this new voter approved legislation to good use…I expect it to be meaningful… Believe me, I wish it wasn’t needed but it’s time has come… I hope every homeowner/property owner puts it to good use. More importantly I hope our Mayor and city officials hear the message and get to work… Otherwise, we need to get new representatives… John O
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