Buy anything lately? Phoenix consumers are paying more this week than they did at this time last week.
That's because the city sales tax rate increased from 8.3 percent to 8.6 percent on January 1.
The hike is part of the $31 billion transportation plan voters approved in August. Proposition 104 increased the sales tax in the city by 0.3 percent and runs for the next 35 years.
It is to "provide funding to re-pave 680 miles of Phoenix's major streets, triple the light rail miles in Phoenix, adding 42 miles of corridors across the city, and pay for longer hours of operation for the local bus system, among other items," according to Phoenix's Transportation 2050 website.
The expanded light rail lines would run to Paradise Valley Mall, Grand Canyon University, Metrocenter Mall, ASU West, and south along Central Avenue to Baseline Road, according to a map published last year in Phoenix's election guide.
Opponents question the need for light rail.
Of the $31 billion, approximately half would come from the sales tax; the remainder would come from "federal and county funds, passenger fares and other elements," according to the Transportation 2050 website.
0.7 percent of the sales tax is earmarked for transportation.
