Tucson voters are split on a ballot measure that would raise local sales taxes by a half-cent over the next 10 years to fund public safety and community resilience investments. 

Young voters at the University of Arizona also have mixed feelings about Proposition 414, also known as the Safe & Vibrant City Initiative, which will be decided in an all-mail Special Election on Tuesday, March 11. 

While some students believe the measure could benefit vulnerable members of the community, others say that funding for police would have direct, negative consequences for students.

An expected $80 million in annual funding from the initiative  would go toward dozens of projects in five areas: affordable housing and shelter, neighborhood and community resilience, enhanced emergency response, technology investments, and capital investments for first responders.

Eddie Barron, a junior studying public policy and a city employee, said he thinks Tucsonans should vote in favor of the measure to invest in programs that will help the most vulnerable.

“Honestly, all of Tucson’s going to benefit because when families can be in homes and have access to resources and systems of care, then everyone benefits,” he said.

As a Tucson native who plans to grow his career in Tucson, he said short-term resident voters such as students should focus on the future benefits voting yes will provide the community.

“I’m looking at this as an investment for future generations and the foundation for future generations, and I don’t feel like it’ll necessarily flood into the UA much because a lot of people, in my opinion, from the UA don’t stay here a long term. And so I think that now more than ever, it’s important to center voices of those who do plan to build their career and life here in Tucson,” he said.

Barron was critical of the proposition when it first came out, he said, concerned about the amount of money going toward law enforcement. But he’s comforted by the way funds are being allocated. 

“I think what overlooks that skepticism for me was the fact that it’s not going directly to police, right? 
It’s going to find and create more positions for community safety officers, which are nonviolent, non gun-carrying policemen, right? It’s going to go towards 911 response times. It’s going to go towards enhancing technology for emergency services because they’re outdated,” he said.

Many students voting “no” are also focused on police and technology advancements funding and don’t think the benefits outweigh potential harms.

“It’s dumping the cost of oppressive practices back on the people upon whom which it oppresses,” said Ahmad Riyad, a sophomore studying philosophy and politics and president of Students for Justice in Palestine. 

He was also concerned about the impact the measure could have on campus when it comes to student activism and use of force. He pointed to pro-Palestinian protests last May when administrators called in city police, who deployed pepper balls and rubber bullets on demonstrators, including students.

“The last thing that we need to be doing is funding a police force that has absolutely nothing or absolutely no public interest in mind,” he said.

Riyad supports many details in the proposition, he said, but believes if  voters reject the measure, there will be other opportunities to fund community-based programs.

“We should use our votes to be like, ‘No, I’m not gonna fund this. But if you want to, try funding the things that matter,’ right?” he said.

While some students have strong opinions about the proposition, others were unaware of the upcoming election. 

Gabby Fairbanks, a junior studying biology, said school work takes up most of her time, making it hard to stay connected with politics. 

“I study 24/7. I don’t watch any news or anything,” she said.

Ballots for the March 11 special election must be mailed in by March 5. Voters can also drop off ballots at voting locations on Election Day. 

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.