West Valley Voters Reject Sales Tax, Property Tax Increases

By Casey Kuhn
Published: Thursday, November 10, 2016 - 12:52pm

Two West Valley cities saw voters reject initiatives that would have provided funding for more public services, according to unofficial results.

A Peoria initiative to raise the sales tax and a Surprise bond are both headed toward defeat.

Peoria Proposition 400 would have permanently raised Peoria’s sales tax by four tenths of a cent, bringing in about $17 million more a year. The money was supposed to go to public safety, though a majority would have gone to city parks and neighborhoods.

Surprise’s $63 million bond would have funded nine different public service projects over the next five years. Half was slated for a recreation complex and aquatic center expansion. The rest would have funded police, fire and road projects.

Politics