San Tan Valley may soon become the largest town in Pinal County as early voting results show strong support for incorporation. Polls closed on Tuesday evening, and preliminary results show that more than 67% of voters support Proposition 495. There are 7,129 "yes" votes compared to 3,373 "no" votes. These results reflect 10,502 votes counted so far, out of about 55,000 eligible voters, according to AZFamily.
San Tan Valley is considering incorporation, a proposal that could give the community local governance and access to about $50 million in state-shared revenue without immediately raising property taxes. Tyler Hudgins, chairman of STV Inc., said, "Our goal has been to give residents that democratic choice to be able to vote yes or no on incorporation." Some residents, including Mike Schumal, have expressed concern about potential new costs, noting, "Currently, the only things that we're really having to pay for are Pinal County taxes and Rural Metro for fire service," as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.
The outcome of Proposition 495 will determine whether San Tan Valley moves forward with incorporation, which would allow the community to manage services such as road maintenance and park development, as per AZFamily. Some residents view it as an opportunity for local control, while others are concerned about potential financial impacts. With votes still being counted, the final decision will not be known until after the ballot curing deadline on Friday.
