by Cameron Arcand
Proposition 479 is no longer facing a lawsuit after the Maricopa County Republican Committee scrapped their case.
The committee was suing the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for certifying the results in the race as a victory for the half-cent sales tax for transportation uses, as the group argued that it did not meet a 60% threshold necessary for a tax to take effect. Proposition 479 passed with 59.8% support of voters in the county – the largest in the state.
The lawsuit suggested it could be a violation of Proposition 132, which voters passed in 2022 to create the 60% barrier for new taxes. However, opponents said that the barrier would not be needed for the county-level tax, which was first implemented in 1985 and re-approved in 2004.
The Center Square reported that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ office was also listed as a defendant in the case, but the plaintiffs ended up agreeing to remove them during a “status conference” on Wednesday.
“This lawsuit was a dumb move to begin with. Prop. 479 didn’t raise a tax, it extended an existing one,” Arizona House Democrats said in a social media post. “Also, it’s a county proposition, not statewide so not subject to the 60-percent threshold. And, bottom-line, Maricopa County residents broadly support building out our transportation and public transit infrastructure despite opposition from MAGA Republicans.”
The lawsuit’s dismissal comes as oral arguments were scheduled in the Maricopa County Superior Court for Friday. Last week, Connect Maricopa motioned to intervene in the lawsuit in hopes to quell the effort.
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Cameron Arcand is a staff reporter for The Center Square covering Arizona. A contributor since 2022, Arcand previously worked for the New York Post, Salem Media Group and The Western Journal.
