Parks relying on 'yes’ vote to Prop. A

In 1999 voters approved a dedicated sales tax hike of a penny on every $10 spent to go specifically to parks and preserve.

Over the last nine years six regional parks, including Pecos Park, were built; several municipal swimming pools, including the one at Pecos Park, were constructed; 160 parks across the city received improvements, including several in Ahwatukee Foothills; and 3,700 acres of Sonoran Desert in north Phoenix were bought to preserve instead of to build on.

Now, the City Council wants to extend the tax for 30 years to continue improvements to the city's park system and to continue adding land to the mountain and desert preserves with Proposition A, which will be on the May 20 ballot.

Helping to generate support for the proposition is Chad Blostone, a US Airways pilot and Ahwatukee Foothills resident.

He says that the one-cent raised on every $10 spent in the city will result in millions for park improvements, money that wouldn't be available any other way.

No specific projects are included in the proposition, but 60 percent of the money raised must go to purchase land, build parks, upgrade existing parks, hire additional park rangers for security and to fund increased maintenance.

The other 40 percent will be used exclusively to purchase mountain and desert preserve land, create better and new trailheads, and for additional trails and parking.

Ahwatukee Foothills can use all those things, with 220 acres of State Trust land the city has been working to acquire for years, no money to expand the trailhead at Telegraph Pass just off Desert Foothills Parkway, parking issues at Pima Canyon off 48th Street and parks, like Desert Foothills Parkway, need funding to expand and upgrade.

"It will be a few years down the road," warned Blostone, pointing out that projects haven't been decided on and that raising money one penny at a time takes time. "But nothing will happen, there's just no money without passage of the proposition."

To make sure that voters feel confident in extending the sales tax, the money can only be used for parks and preserve and can't be used for other purposes. A citizen's oversight committee will decide the projects and watch spending to make sure that all the money goes where it is needed.

More info:

- The election will be held May 20 and all ballots must be received by the Elections Department no later than 7 p.m. Early ballots can be dropped off at any polling on Election Day.

- The deadline to register to vote and be eligible for the May 20 election is April 21. Contact the Maricopa County Elections Department at (602) 1511, for more information.

- Thanks to a new state law, Phoenix voters who have asked to be on the early ballot mailing list will get a ballot without asking. Ballots will be mailed out starting next week.

- If you aren't sure about requesting an early ballot or want to vote in person, but aren't sure where to go, contact the Phoenix Elections Department at (602) 261-8683.

- For information on Ballot A, visit the official Web site at www.phxparks.com or read the ballot language at www.phoenix.gov/CITYCLERK.