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SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. - Results show the ‘yes’ vote is ahead in Aug. 5's incorporation vote for a community in the Far East Valley.
Big picture view:
According to unofficial results from the Pinal County Government, the ‘yes’ side on the San Tan Valley incorporation ballot measure has received 8,698 (66.69%) of the votes that have been counted thus far.
Dig deeper:
According to sample ballots posted on the Pinal County's website, a ‘yes’ vote on Proposition 495 would allow the San Tan Valley to be incorporated as a town under the name "San Tan Valley, Arizona."
What they're saying:
In an email sent on Aug. 6, a group that supports Proposition 495 said while over 2,000 ballots remain to be processed, the lead is "mathematically insurmountable."
"This is a defining moment for San Tan Valley. We have planted the flag as Arizona’s 92nd municipality—making our community the largest incorporation in state history," wrote STV Inc. Board Chairman Tyler Hudgins, in the statement.
Local perspective:
STV Inc., which is a nonprofit, submitted nearly 11,000 signatures to get Proposition 495 on the ballot. The election was held on Aug. 5, and polls closed at 7 p.m.
"Our goal has been to give residents that democratic choice to be able to vote yes or no on incorporation," said Hudgins, during an Aug. 5 election watch party hosted at the Rural Metro Fire Station.
He says becoming a town would improve the quality of life for the estimated 100,000 residents. According to Hudgins, incorporation itself would not increase taxes, but a future town council could pass a sales tax.
San Tan Valley: Voters to decide if unincorporated community will become a town
Tuesday, August 5, is election day in San Tan Valley where voters will decide whether the unincorporated community will be recognized as a town.
"The Arizona state shared revenue they talked about earlier will start to come here. It's about $50 million that we'll get to use for the first year or two," Hudgins said. "Property taxes cannot increase unless a future council decided to send that to the ballot. And the voters have to decide to tax themselves."
The other side:
Mike Schumal, a San Tan Valley resident since 2005, wrote a letter to the editor strongly against the proposition. He says he chose to live in the community because of its affordability.
"Currently, the only things that we're really having to pay for are Pinal County taxes and Rural Metro for fire service," Schumal said. He argued that incorporation would lead to added costs, including a potential sales tax and other fees that would be passed on to consumers.
What's next:
The ballot curing deadline for this election is Aug. 8.
What you can do:
Click here to see the latest election results.