SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Scottsdale City Council amended a ballot initiative on a proposed new city sales tax at a special meeting Tuesday.
This came after an appeals court judge reversed a previous decision to throw out a lawsuit against the language surrounding Proposition 490. The judge ruled Monday that Scottsdale's ballot measure could not proceed as written.
A group of residents sued the city earlier this summer over the measure. They felt it was misleading that the city was promoting the initiative as a tax cut, when it actually would be a tax hike if voters approved it.
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Scottsdale officials said the city council amended the ballot question language pursuant to the court’s order.
With that change, the city will send the updated ballot language to Maricopa County so that Prop. 490 remains on the November ballot for Scottsdale voters to consider.
The main change to the language appears to be taking out the phrase "replace and reduce" when it comes to the proposed sales tax in relation to an expiring sales tax.
A 0.2% sales tax that voters put into effect almost 30 years ago to buy the McDowell Sonoran Preserve expires next year.
The city wants to put a new 0.15% sales tax into effect the day after the old one expires to maintain and upgrade parks and recreation-related projects and resources.
