Tempe council amends proposed sales-tax ballot questions, sets May 14 for final vote

Tempe’s City Council on May 1 amended a pair of proposed sales-tax questions and moved final action to May 14, asking staff to prepare ballot language after several hours of presentations and public comment.

Deputy City Manager and CFO Lisette Camacho laid out the fiscal picture behind the proposal, telling the council the city faces approximately $25.7 million in annual revenue losses from recent state actions and related changes and that the two-question approach would raise locally controlled revenue to replace some of those losses. “This proposal is expected to generate approximately $40,300,000 in local funding annually,” Camacho said, referring to the 0.4% public-safety component presented earlier in the night.

Why it matters: City staff and public-safety officials argued the new revenue would stabilize police, fire and prevention services as Tempe’s population and daytime workforce have grown rapidly. Interim Fire Chief (presenting with the city) described stretched response capacity and said the proposal would let voters decide on restoring staffing and training. “This is a life saving decision,” the fire chief said.

What the council did: Councilmember Randy Keating proposed shifting 0.1 percentage point from the public-safety ask into a dedicated stream for Tempe Pre, the city’s early-childhood education program, arguing that early education is an upstream investment in public safety and workforce stability. After debate about ballot structure, the council voted to amend the draft to 0.3% for public safety, 0.1% for transit and 0.1% for Tempe Pre and to consolidate the measures into a single ballot question for voters, then voted 7–0 to continue the item to May 14 to allow staff to finalize precise ballot language and outreach materials.

Public reaction: Speakers were split. Police, fire and downtown business leaders urged allowing voters to decide, citing rising calls for service and longer response times. Neighbors and community advocates pushed back: neighborhood groups and small-business owners asked the council to pursue deeper internal cuts and efficiency before asking residents for new taxes. Several speakers urged greater protections for mutual-aid feeding programs and opposed any language that might criminalize charitable distributions.

Next steps: Council directed staff and the city attorney to prepare revised ballot language and outreach materials; the item will return for a final vote and additional public hearings on May 14, 2026. If voters approve, the ordinance update would follow and new rates could take effect Jan. 1 following the election.