One Last Push, Then Voters Take Over; Eyes Across Nation on Prop 202

PHOENIX-Supporters and opponents of some key real estate-related propositions will hit the streets and phone banks one last time Monday, the eve of what some are calling the most important election day in the history of Arizona.

Developers and slow-growth activists from around the nation will be keeping an eye on the fate of Arizona’s Proposition 202, the first proposal in US history that would impose strict growth controls across an entire state. Prop. 202, which some economists estimate would immediately cost the state more than 200,000 jobs–mostly in the building industry. This initiative would force cities to establish growth boundaries based on 10-year population projections and slap a two-year moratorium on all new construction while cities are defining boundaries. The cost of any infrastructure development outside those lines would be borne completely by developers.

The measure was written with the help of the Sierra Club. It is opposed by most developers and other real estate interests, who have been joined by many banks, labor unions and even farmers.

Meantime, voters in Maricopa County will decide the fate of a local measure that would raise millions of dollars to build a new football stadium for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals, construct youth sports facilities and promote tourism. If Proposition 302 fails, the Cardinals may well move to another city—perhaps Los Angeles.

Supporters of Prop. 302 are hoping the football team’s upset win over the vaunted Washington Redskins yesterday will persuade voters who haven’t made up their minds yet to approve the funds for the new stadium. Before Sunday, the Cardinals had won only two games all season and some residents had said–perhaps only half-joking–that they’d vote against the measure in an effort to ensure that the hapless team would leave town.

A staggering 14 propositions will appear on Arizona’s ballot. Only Oregon, with 26 measures, has more. Voter turnout is expected to be unusually heavy, says Arizona state election director Jessica Funkhouser, because many of the propositions are controversial and turnout is almost always higher in a presidential election year.