Maricopa voters to weigh $898M health care bond
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Voters have a big decision to make about the future of behavioral and community health care services in Maricopa County.
The big picture: Proposition 409 will be on the Nov. 4 ballot in Maricopa County, with early voting beginning Oct. 8.
- The measure would impose a property tax increase of 11 cents per $100 of net assessed limited property value to pay for an $898 million bond for Valleywise Health, the county's public hospital and health care system.
Why it matters: The county provides court-ordered mental health evaluations and treatments, but demand has exceeded capacity in recent years, Michael White, Valleywise Health's chief clinical officer, tells Axios.
- On any given day, 25-30 people are waiting to get in.
Zoom in: Prop. 409 would pay for three major projects:
- About $500 million to expand outpatient health facilities, including at clinics in south Phoenix and Chandler.
- $220 million to replace the in-patient behavioral health facility at Valleywise's campus at 24th and Roosevelt streets, doubling capacity to around 200 beds.
- Around $177 million to expand Valleywise's new hospital, which White said has been "at or above capacity since we opened the door" last year.
Catch up quick: Voters in 2014 approved a measure to build a new $935 million Valleywise Health center.
- The hospital included room for expansion, and White said a 10th floor is already needed.
- "We had always anticipated the needs in Maricopa County would grow, just not so quickly," White said.
What he's saying: Prop. 409 includes outpatient and emergency health projects, but behavioral health is the "driving force" behind the measure, White said.
What's next: If it passes, White said, it will take at least five years to complete construction.
- The behavioral health facility will also be designed to accommodate growth.
- It will be built on the site of the old hospital, replaced by the 2014 measure, which is about halfway through the demolition process.
The other side: No organized campaign against Prop. 409 exists, and no formal opposition was submitted to the county for its information pamphlet for the measure.
- 80 pro-Prop. 409 statements were submitted.
Editor's note: This story was corrected to show that Prop. 409 would impose a property tax increase of 11 cents per $100 of net assessed limited property value (not assessed home value).