Six months ago, from the ashes of an agency that tried and failed to fix State Route 347 came a new idea. It was a novel, if unorthodox, idea. In a bleak moment, it illuminated an unexpected new road forward. 

Tonight, the fruits of that idea had crowds of people standing at City Hall, because the seats were all full. It became official — Maricopans will pay an extra penny for every $2 they spend on most goods and services in the city. 

Maricopa City Council members tonight unanimously voted in favor of the half-cent sales tax proposal that promises to fund local transportation projects — namely SR 347 — but not before some lengthy discussion during a public hearing. 

“The ability to fund expansions of roads is shrinking every single year. This is a problem because we are growing at such a fast rate,” said Mayor Nancy Smith. “For our health, our safety and our welfare … we must do this.” 

Mayor Smith added: “This is the most important meeting I’ve ever been a part of.” 

“I’m all in on this,” said Vice Mayor Henry Wade. 

Councilmember Eric Goettl, who previously expressed hesitation over supporting the tax — “I’m not excited about taxing, I’m really not,” he told InMaricopa last month — during the meeting said he felt a mixture of anger and pride in his decision to support the tax. 

“I’m really frustrated that I’ve been put into this position of violating some of the principles that I hold pretty important — that of being anti-tax. I feel strongly that most taxes are horribly immoral, and we just don‘t need more taxes, but we have a broken system,” Goettl said. “Infrastructure requires funding and that’s why we’re here this evening.” 

Councilmember Vincent Manfredi said while he has “consistently opposed unnecessary tax hikes,” he recognized the need for this one.  

“A sales tax increase of just half a cent is a small price for needed infrastructure and peace of mind,” he said.  

What is the tax? 

Dubbed the Commuting Corridors Sales Tax Fund, the new levy increases the municipal tax from 2% to 2½% and will apply to restaurant dining, non-food retail sales and services beginning Oct. 1.  

What won’t be taxed? Lodging, groceries and gasoline. 

Overall, the city anticipates generating about $5 million in the upcoming fiscal year and at least $8 million every year thereafter until October 2045, when the tax expires. 

Where will the money go? 

The tax revenue will be collected by the Arizona Department of Revenue and deposited into the city’s general fund. From there, the city will move the money to a sales tax fund, where it will be directed to appropriate projects.  

While the current focus is on SR 347, the new revenue will also eventually be used to fund improvements on State Route 238, extending Sonoran Desert Parkway, building a loop route to bypass the main strip and other critical area transportation projects.  

It appears the city was anticipating the increase would pass, having added it to the preliminary 2026 budget and drafting an intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Transportation, also discussed tonight. 

In the IGA, Maricopa agrees to provide $50 million in upfront costs to ADOT in exchange for the design and construction associated with widening SR 347 one lane in each direction. It would be reimbursed through the tax fund. 

Current estimates place the highway’s costs at about $135 million.  

Resident reactions 

Maricopa voters have supported similar efforts in county-level elections over the past eight years. Some 58% of voters in the city supported the ill-fated Proposition 417 in 2017 and 64% voted in favor of Proposition 469, a roads tax that failed despite Maricopa, in 2022.  

Results of a recent poll conducted by InMaricopa similarly found 64% of the 1,130 people we surveyed indicating support for the half-cent sales tax that was approved tonight.  

One-third, however, said they opposed the tax and that minority has been especially vocal on social media since the tax was announced.   

None ventured from their keyboards. Every commenter during the public hearing supported the sales tax. That included Central Arizona College student Ryan Tafoya.  

“I’ve laid flowers on the tributes to these people on the 347 for many years, too many years, and I’d like for there to be no more years,” he said during the hearing. “I hope that the result of the vote today means that, going forward throughout my life, I can give more flowers and celebration rather than mourning.” 

Vincent Manfredi is an owner of InMaricopa.