Operation Safe Roads is KGUN9's commitment to your safety but sometimes smooth roads can enhance your safety too.
In the next election, voters will have a chance to approve or reject a way to roll $430 million into our streets.
Roll just a few miles through Pima County and you can feel the problem in the seat of your pants. The roads are rough. They're rough on your nerves and on your car.
But getting money to pay for improvements has been rough too.
Now Proposition 463 asks voters to allow Pima County to sell bonds to raise about 430 Million dollars to rebuild and resurface roads in unincorporated Pima County, plus Tucson and other cities in Pima County boundaries.
The Co-Chairman of the group called "Just Fix Our Roads," says road conditions affect everything from whether new businesses will come here to whether you get where you're going safely.
Bruce Dusenberry says, “It has a tremendous effect on on our livability and also on public safety. Because first responders and we as citizens can't get where we're going in an efficient and fast manner with poor roads."
Usually when people hear about a road bond election they think, “Oh. That's just going to take more tax money out of my pocket.” But organizers say that's not true in this case. They say because Pima County has already paid off a batch of bond debt it can take on new debt without actually raising your taxes."
Opponents say the streets do need help but they feel Pima County spends too much money on projects that are not really essential, and they question whether the county will keep its promises if voters approve Prop 463.
RELATED: View an interactive map of Prop. 463's proposed improvements
Chris King chairs, the group Stop Prop 463. He says, "Live within your means first. Show us that you're responsible with taxpayer money. Show us that you're responsible, that you can be trusted doing what taxpayers employed them to do, elected them to do."
While opponents are skeptical, Prop 463 advocates say the prop's the fastest and best option for fixing the roads. Now it's up to voters to decide which road to take.
