Vote NO on 418 and 419 to let the current half-cent sales tax expire, providing an immediate 0.5% reduction in the total sales tax rate — Tucson already faces one of the highest combined rates in Arizona at 8.7% (state + county + city), and residents and businesses could greatly benefit from this much-needed tax relief rather than extending the tax for another 20 years.

• All-Elected Governing Board Leads to Political Delays and Poor Decisions: The RTA board is composed entirely of elected officials from Pima County jurisdictions (plus a state transportation representative), turning what should be straightforward project management into a politicized process. This structure has caused repeated delays, including months of standstill during RTA Next planning, board infighting (such as the narrow 5-4 vote to fire the prior executive director in June 2025), and failure to adapt to cost overruns or changing needs—ultimately delaying critical infrastructure while prioritizing political alignments over taxpayer efficiency.

• 2006 Proposition Has Run Out of Money with Budget Shortfalls: The original Prop 400 (2006) half-cent sales tax funded a 20-year plan but has exhausted funds prematurely due to shortfalls estimated in the hundreds of millions (including impacts from the Great Recession and COVID). This has left the plan unable to complete all commitments,  yet Props 418 & 419 propose extending the same tax model without addressing these fundamental revenue inadequacies or guaranteeing better outcomes.

• Incomplete and Delayed Projects from the 2006 Plan: Of the major projects promised in 2006, many remain unfinished—reports indicate around 17-19 key segments (such as portions of Houghton Road, Kolb Road extensions, Valencia Road widening, and other roadway/transit improvements) are incomplete or significantly delayed years beyond original timelines. These hold ups stem from cost overruns, poor planning, and board indecision, wasting taxpayer dollars and leaving persistent infrastructure gaps across the region.

• City of Tucson Passed Multiple Propositions Funding Roads Despite RTA's Existence: Supporters of Propositions 418 and 419 (RTA Next) claim that defeat would prompt the City of Tucson to pursue its own ballot measure centered on climate change mitigation and "15-minute city" concepts. However, nothing precludes the City from advancing separate voter-approved initiatives for transportation and related goals at any time e.g., despite the RTA's dedicated half-cent sales tax since 2006, the City of Tucson has separately gone to voters for additional road and transportation funding through measures ​like​ (Prop 409 (2012: $100 million bonds for streets), Prop 101 (2017: half-cent sales tax with 40% for roads), Prop 407 (2018: "Parks + Connections" bond package),  and Prop 411 (2022: half-cent sales tax projecting $740 million, with 80% for neighborhood streets and 20% for safety/pedestrian elements).

• Supporters of Propositions 418 and 419 (RTA Next) claim other municipalities would suffer without the shared funding: Tucson disproportionately generates the lion's share of the countywide half-cent sales tax revenue due to its population and economic density, yet its residents—facing the region's highest poverty rates (historically 18-22%, often exceeding Pima County's ~15% overall and far above wealthier suburbs like Oro Valley or Marana with higher median incomes)—are hit hardest by this regressive tax on everyday purchases; it is unfair to force lower-income Tucsonans, lacking the higher household incomes or casino revenues of some outlying areas, to subsidize their infrastructure when those municipalities can pursue independent, locally tailored propositions, eliminating the RTA "middleman" for more accountable funding.

• Tucson funds and sustains its own fare-free Sun Tran, Sun Link, and Sun Van transit system through city resources:—including tens of millions annually from the general fund (over $60 million in recent years)—demonstrating the city's clear priority and ability to “afford” this policy internally without needing supplementary funding from the broader Pima County tax base via RTA Next's regional half-cent sales tax continuation ($726 million (or about 30%) is allocated to transit over the 20 years). Why impose additional regional taxpayer costs to allocate more dollars to transit when the city is already handling and committing to fare-free service on its own?

• Despite Funding Shortfalls and Incomplete Projects, RTA Hired Mike Ortega at $356,000 Annually: Even as the 2006 plan runs out of money and leaves major projects unfinished (with reports of hundreds of millions in unused or unspent balances sitting idle), the RTA board hired former Tucson City Manager Mike Ortega as executive director—starting interim in June 2025 and formalized with a contract at $356,000 per year (about $29,667 monthly through at least December 2026, with potential renewals). This salary is higher than the previous executive director's compensation (Farhad Moghimi), raising questions about fiscal priorities when core promises remain unmet and voters are asked for another 20-year tax extension.