The Facts on Prop 490

Information by : Former Scottsdale Mayor and Prop 490 PAC– Mary Manross and Carla– Campaign Coordinator & Preserve Pioneer

Prop 490 is one of Scottsdale’s most publicly vetted, legally protected ballot measures.

Time for some facts about 490, a ballot measure, created by residents to benefit our entire city.

It will improve and better maintain our city’s 44 parks, starting in the aging Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, provide ongoing care for our Preserve, including wildlife habitat protection and an increase in Police and Fire Department capabilities, including additional Park Police Rangers and a second Technical Rescue team.

Despite all of these benefits, at the last minute, three individuals sued the city to have Prop 490 removed from the November ballot and take away our citizen’s right to vote. After a lengthy court fight, the Council revised the ballot measure’s language, and it remains on the ballot.

During this process, every opportunity possible was given for citizens to speak on the record and revise their ballot arguments – within the time constraints the OPPONENTS THEMSELVES CREATED. Opponents claim that “people weren’t given the opportunity for input” into the development of the measure. The public process went on for TWO YEARS. The To Protect and To Preserve Scottsdale Task Force, representing all areas of the city, held 22 publicized meeting across the city, all of which were open to the public with the opportunity to speak on the record at each meeting. There were also two televised Work Study sessions with Council members. Then the Council held two more meetings, all with the opportunity for public input. It would have been more productive if opponents had participated in this extensive public process. However, the three residents who filed the lawsuit did not attend a single meeting.

More misinformation disseminated is that 490 contains no controls over how the dollars would be spent and that they can easily be misused by the city. Nothing could be further from the truth. Prop 490 includes unprecedented legal protections to ensure that the money must be spent as indicated in the ballot measure. First, the word “solely” in the ballot language legally ties the funding to the described purposes in the ballot language – nothing else.

Second, an Ordinance that will be passed with the ballot language specifically calls out the projects and the exact percentage each department will receive to fund those projects. If a future Council needed to change anything it would require a Super Majority vote. Even then, all that could be modified are the yearly percentages. The money must still go to the parks, the Preserve and public safety. It cannot be diverted to another department, like transportation or the arts. Finally, the Ordinance contains a requirement that the existing Charters of both the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Preserve Commission be changed so that they provide citizen oversight for their respective department’s 490 funds. This requirement specifically includes an annual public report to the Council on how the monies are being used.

Another falsehood from the opponents is that bonding could be used for the needs and projects in this measure. However, by law, half of the things proposed in 490 cannot be funded by bonds. Not to mention that bonds are paid by property taxes. That would put the entire burden on residents and city businesses. Under Prop 490 all visitors to Scottsdale would help pay to help keep our city safe.

These are the facts. Do not be swayed by misinformation. Instead, please consider all the much needed, wonderful benefits that Prop 490 can bring to our community and be sure to Vote YES.