http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/0504poll0504.html
Poll indicates failure for Mesa property tax
Justin Juozapavicius The Arizona Republic May. 4, 2006 12:00 AM
Mesa shouldn't rely too heavily on this month's tax election to help dig it out of a projected $25 million shortfall.
If the election were today, the struggling city's first property tax since World War II would be soundly defeated, while a half-cent sales-tax proposal would barely squeak by, according to an Arizona Republic poll of 404 likely voters.
Thirty percent of Mesa residents said they would vote for the property tax and 45 percent would vote against it, while 41 percent plan to vote for a sales-tax increase and 36 percent would vote against, according to poll results. The rest were either undecided or do not plan to vote on May 16.
The telephone survey taken April 10-23 had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
The amount of support for the property tax mirrors results from a Mesa Chamber of Commerce poll released more than six months ago.
"I have said from Day 1, this is a very hard sell," said Vice Mayor Claudia Walters, who supports the taxes. The taxes would bring in at least $70 million in new revenue annually.
Mesa, the largest city in the United States without a property tax, is looking to cut dozens of services to make budget ends meet.
The Republic Poll also found that more than 40 percent of Mesa voters have no confidence in city officials to wisely spend taxpayer money, while 50 percent are only somewhat convinced. Six percent of likely voters said they were "very confident" in City Hall's ability to spend prudently.
"It's time for everyone to tighten their belts," said Mesa native Paul Ray Millet, 59, who plans to vote against the tax. "That goes for local government, too."
The results appear to reflect ambivalence among voters to give money to City Hall. For months, they have criticized Mesa for dropping tens of millions of dollars on a lavish arts center, light rail and downtown redevelopment projects.
"I'd put as much faith in Arthur Andersen's accountants," resident H. Steven Johnson said about the city's projected shortfall. "Politicians use numbers to lie about reality."
Tax supporters, however, took some comfort in the amount of undecided voters: 18 percent on the property tax and 17 percent for the sales tax.