LWVAZ stand on Propositions on Nov. 6 Ballot
No on Proposition 305
The non-partisan League of Women Voters of Arizona urges a NO vote on Proposition 305 in order to stop a law passed by the AZ Legislature in 2017. That law expands the AZ Empowerment Scholarship Account program (known as ESA) to all students in AZ.
Passage of Proposition 305 would result in a major step toward privatizing education in our state. The League of Women Voters and the AZ Constitution both speak to ensuring that the state provides adequate funds for a PUBLIC education for all AZ students. Neither the League of Women Voters nor the AZ Constitution speak to a state role in providing funds for private education.
Expanding Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA), also known as vouchers, to more students will take away public money badly needed for our already underfunded public schools both traditional and charter. The public schools monies given to the child for an ESA are put on a debit card and given to the parent for payment of private school tuition including religious schools, home schooling or other ‘qualified’ expenses. There is little or no accounting by the state of how these monies are actually used.
Also almost all private/religious school tuition is significantly more than the amount on the debit card. As a result, the ESA/voucher program has been used almost exclusively by wealthy families to subsidize the cost of the private education they would be using for their children in the first place. Passage of Proposition 305 will continue a frightening trend toward a dual education system – one for the very wealthy and one for those the rest of us.
The League of Women Voters believes a strong democracy includes a free and quality public education for all children. Vote NO on Proposition 305.
No on Prop. 306
The non partisan League of Women Voters of Arizona urges a NO vote on Proposition 306, the Arizona Legislature’s attempt to weaken the AZ Clean Election Law by limiting the independence of the AZ Citizens Clean Elections Commission and making it subject to partisan control.
The League of Women Voters helped draft the original initiative that created the AZ Clean Elections Law and worked for its passage in 1998. The AZ Clean Elections Law is a model nationwide for public financing of elections. It is the Voters’ Voice in the enforcement of our campaign finance laws and it provides objective and timely voter information to all Arizona voters.
The statewide Commission that oversees the AZ Clean Elections Law was intentionally created to be a nonpartisan and independent entity. The commission’s rule making authority granted to it by the initiative has maintained its independence while providing adequate opportunities for public comment on such rules.
The Arizona Legislature’s proposed revision to the AZ Clean Elections Commission’s rule making process will allow a totally partisan entity, appointed only by the Governor, to oversee the Commission’s rule making, thus removing its independence. Passage of Proposition 306 will likely weaken the commission’s ability to oversee the enforcement of campaign finance laws, to maintain adequate oversight of the funding it provides to Clean Election Candidates and could even curtail its valuable voter education program.
We need to Strengthen NOT weaken the AZ Clean Elections Law and keep partisan politics out of campaign financing. Vote NO on Proposition 306.
LWVGVV stand on Yavapai and Coconino County propositions in the Verde Valley
Proposition 416 (Coconino County): Whether to change from a partisan election of superior court judges to a merit selection and judicial retention election of superior court judges. LWVGVV support this proposition.
Background:
• The Arizona Constitution, as stipulated in Article 6, §40, allows for counties with a population under 250,000 persons to choose to select its judges of the superior court as if it had a population of 250,000 or more persons.
• When a county’s population exceeds 250,000 as documented by the U.S. Census, that county automatically enters the merit selection system. Only Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties exceed that population threshold.
• Other counties may choose to adopt merit selection by popular vote. Currently, Superior Court Judges (in Coconino County) are elected in a partisan primary, then rarely face an opponent in general elections.
LWV position in support of this proposition: The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the selection of judges by appointment, with voter approval for retention; a judicial nominating commission, responsible to the governor; and a competency review commission.
Proposition 417 (Coconino County): Shall the Coconino County Community College District be authorized to continue to levy the current secondary property tax in the amount of $2,226,000, beginning in tax year 2019, for seven years.
The incremental funding to be used to:
• Initiate new career and technical education and training programs that prepare Coconino County students for jobs in Coconino County including related costs; and
• Develop new programs to support veterans’ training for civilian jobs including related costs; and
• Develop new programs to train and re-train Coconino County workers, in conjunction with Coconino County employers and expand current job training programs including related costs; and
• Enhance educational services throughout Coconino County, including communities such as Page, Tuba City, and Williams, including related costs; and
• Encourage and support lifelong learning programs, including related costs.
LWV position in support of this proposition: Funds for education in Arizona are collected through district property taxes and equalized through state income and sales taxes from the State’s General Fund. In addition, the League supports: Bond and override funds determined by a majority of district voters. LWVGVV supports this proposition
Proposition 446 (City of Sedona): The proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot would establish a permanent expenditure limit of approximately $25.2 million. This proposition was brought to the ballot by a citizens’ initiative.
Background: Voter-approved expenditure limitations- azauditor.gov/reports-publications/cities-and-towns/faqs/voter-approved-expenditure-limitations
What is the difference between an alternative expenditure limitation (home rule), permanent base adjustment, and a one-time override?
Home rule—Arizona Constitution, Article IX, §20(9), allows a city or town to adopt an alternative expenditure limitation (home rule) with voter approval at a regularly scheduled election for the nomination or election of its governing board members. A home rule prescribes the method the city or town will use to calculate its own expenditure limitation each year. Voters must approve a home rule prior to the first fiscal year in which it applies. Home rules apply for 4 succeeding fiscal years, after which the constitutional expenditure limitation becomes effective, unless voters adopt a new home rule.
Permanent base adjustment—Arizona Constitution, Article IX, §20(6), allows a city or town to permanently adjust its base limit with voter approval at a regularly scheduled general election or at a nonpartisan election held for the nomination or election of its governing board members. The Economic Estimates Commission will use the adjustment to calculate the constitutional expenditure limitation beginning with the fiscal year immediately following the fiscal year that voters approve the permanent base adjustment. Permanent base adjustments apply to all future years; however, voters may adopt additional adjustments.
May a city or town under home rule adopt a permanent base adjustment? Yes. A city or town under home rule may adopt a permanent base adjustment. The Economic Estimates Commission will use the adjusted base limit to calculate the city’s or town’s constitutional expenditure limitation for the year following a permanent base adjustment’s voter approval. However, the city or town is still subject to its home rule if the home rule has not expired.
Issues: Brought to the voters by initiative (which has never been done in AZ) with no fiscal background on calculation of expenditures limits and no involvement from the city government. If approved, it would effectively cap all future city’s spending to roughly half of the city’s annual expenditures for the past five years.
LWV believes that both home rule and permanent base adjustments are appropriate tools to be used by government entities when determining their expenditure levels. Both processes are invited public participation, are transparent and accountable to the public through approval of the governing bodies and voted upon by the public. This proposition was not created with public participation or approval of the city council to send it to the ballot. Because of lack of public participation and lack of transparency on the determination of the expenditure limit – LWVGVV opposes Proposition 446.
Proposition 447 (Sedona-Oak Creek School District): Adopt a General Maintenance and Operation Budget that includes an amount of up to 15% in excess of the revenue control limit for the 2019/2020 fiscal year and for six subsequent years (subject to certain reductions provided by statute in years six and seven). The District’s current 15% budget override is by law required to be reduced by one-third in each of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. Because the existing override reduces by one-third in fiscal year 2019/2020, the proposed 15% override budget will be approximately $274,488 higher than the District’s 2019/2020 alternate budget and the District’s secondary tax rate required to fund this amount is estimated to be $0.05 per one hundred dollars of net limited assessed property valuation.
The total budget override amount is estimated to be $823,464 and would be funded by an estimated $0.15 tax rate, which is approximately equal to the current tax rate levied for the existing override. In future years the amount of the increase, if any, will be as provided by law.
Continued funding for programs currently serving district students – art/music, PE, school safety and security, technology enhancements, smaller class sizes, all day kindergarten.
LWV position in support of this proposition: Funds for education in Arizona are collected through district property taxes and equalized through state income and sales taxes from the State’s General Fund. In addition, the League supports: Bond and override funds determined by a majority of district voters. LWVGVV supports this proposition