opinion

CEOs: Pass a temporary tax for schools now, then our 1.5-cent measure in 2020

As Arizona CEOs, we support Gov. Doug Ducey and his efforts to increase resources for Arizona’s entire public education system.

We applaud his concept of #20by2020 because it focuses on investing in Arizona’s teachers.

That said, we believe the creation of a statewide, legislatively mandated, compensation structure for public sector employees is not the best course. For government to be successful, like business, decisions must be made locally, guaranteeing that they align with local priorities.

Today, Arizona has both an education funding crisis and a partisan political crisis. The question is, which one will our elected leaders choose to address?

What we need: Reliable funding

We support investing new dollars directly into the classroom while creating a long-term, permanent funding source for Arizona’s schools. That’s why we endorse Rep. Noel Campbell’s 1-penny, three-year temporary funding bridge to immediately deliver new dollars into Arizona’s classrooms.

We are also committed to placing the 1.5-cent, voter-protected citizens initiative, an idea that we introduced last December, on the 2020 ballot.

If Arizonans truly want a quality public education system for every family, then we cannot continue to rely on political winds to determine our education funding future.

Gov. Ducey has consistently articulated his priorities of increasing teacher pay, providing access to voluntary full-day kindergarten, promoting construction trade workforce development, and supporting Arizona’s public university system. We agree!

We support delivering new dollars immediately to Arizona’s classrooms, and creating a dedicated, permanent funding source for Arizona’s schools with a two-step approach.

Step 1: Approve a temporary tax now

Adopting Gov. Ducey’s original January budget proposal along with Rep. Campbell’s 1-penny, 3-year temporary funding bridge, which requires a simple two-thirds majority vote of the Arizona Legislature. This vote will immediately deliver new funding to our schools while respecting local control.

CAMPBELL: Why I'm proposing a temporary 1-cent tax for schools

Rep. Campbell was persuasive in his recent email to legislative colleagues when he wrote:

“For Republicans, considering my TEMPORARY funding bridge for the first time, this proposal can be approved with a simple, 2/3 vote in the legislature and DOES NOT require sending it to the ballot in November. This TEMPORARY measure will deliver $1 Billion in new funding for the schools and will allow us, as policymakers, to focus on developing the best possible permanent funding source for the 2020 ballot.

“For Democrats, considering my TEMPORARY funding bridge for the first time, this concept is the exact same sales-tax funding proposal that every education group in Arizona endorsed with Governor Brewer in 2009 and passed by nearly 70% of the vote. Additionally, my TEMPORARY funding proposal provides Arizona’s school districts with the funding to make significant teacher pay increases, a reality today, WITHOUT hurting rural Arizona.”

Step 2: Approve our 1.5-cent tax in 2020

Placing a 1.5-cent citizens initiative on the 2020 ballot to create a dedicated and permanent funding source for Arizona’s public schools. This voter-protected citizens initiative would replace the recently renewed 0.6-cent education tax (Proposition 301) passed this session by the Legislature, as well as the new funds generated by Rep. Campbell’s temporary funding bridge.

The long-term solution must invest dollars directly into base funding to fund the priorities of locally elected school governing boards, including the creation of voluntary full-day kindergarten, and protect future investments in both construction-trade workforce development and Arizona’s public university system.

There is clear and concise nexus between steps 1 and 2, and we are committed to making this plan happen for Arizona’s students, teachers, families and economic future.

Reginald M. Ballantyne III is a former president of the Arizona State Board of Education; Mike Brewer is president & CEO of Brewer Companies and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing; Phil Francis is retired chairman and CEO of PetSmart; Glenn Hickman is the president & CEO of Hickman Family Farms; and John O. Whiteman is president of the Whiteman Foundation. Reach the group at johnowhiteman@aol.com.

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