The Regional Transportation Authority is committed to responsibly spend RTA sales tax dollars residents and visitors generate throughout Pima County. The RTA revenues are carefully overseen, and spending must comply with state and regional requirements.
In addition to complying with RTA state statutes, the RTA follows RTA Board-adopted policies to ensure funds are spent in line with the intended RTA project scope as approved by voters in 2006.
State laws: The RTA is governed by the Arizona Revised Statutes that created and enabled it to go to voters to ask for approval of the 20-year regional transportation plan and half-cent sales (excise) tax to fund the plan. RTA statutes (A.R.S. 48-5301-48-5354) can be found on the State Legislature’s website.
Voter approved spending plan: In 2006, voters in Pima County approved ballot language that spelled out how much would be spent on each roadway corridor project, and how much would be spent in the categories of safety, transit, and environmental and economic vitality improvements. The full list can be found on page 4 of the RTA’s Our Mobility brochure.
RTA Administrative Code: The RTA Board approved an RTA Administrative Code to spell out implementation of the program, including details about each roadway corridor project and the categorical spending, as well as a summary of state requirements and details about fiscal management of RTA funds.
RTA Policies, Objectives and Procedures: The RTA is a transportation improvement plan, for which the government agencies in the Pima County region implement the projects. The RTA Policies, Objectives and Procedures, along with the Administrative Code, further guide plan implementation for jurisdictions responsible for managing the voter-approved projects.
In addition to those policies, the RTA established a Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation (CART) Committee. The community members on the committee are charged with overseeing plan implementation, including project delivery, revenue projections and expenditures.
See the new RTA Fact Sheet on funding decision making.