DALLAS — Arizona voters approved more than $2 billion of bonds in the Nov. 4 election, with most of the proposals winning by comfortable margins, according to official results.
Nearly half of that total, $930 million, will go toward new facilities for the Maricopa Integrated Health System serving the Phoenix metro area. About 63% of voters in Arizona's largest county supported the debt issuance under Proposition 480.
The bonds will finance a replacement of the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.
The Maricopa Integrated Health System that operates the medical center and other clinics in the county plans to issue bonds maturing in 2016 through 2043. MIHS hopes to have the construction completed by 2020.
In Mesa, the largest suburb of Phoenix with more than 439,000 residents, voters approved $580 million of utility bonds by a wide margin. The bonds for gas, water, electric and sanitation projects were presented as five questions that passed by an average 67% favorable vote.
The bonds will finance a new water-treatment plant, expand a wastewater-treatment plant and repair, replace and maintain infrastructure for the city's natural-gas and electric utilities. Mesa Mayor John Giles said the water treatment plant would allow the city to process more water delivered by the Central Arizona Project canal and reduce use of groundwater.
In southern Arizona, Pima County Proposition 415, a bond proposal to use $22 million to build a new county animal shelter near the old one, passed with roughly 59% in favor. Backers of the proposition said the overwhelming margin showed support for the county's efforts to save as many pets as it can.
School districts in the state won approval for nearly $525 million of bonds with only one major issue, the Lake Havasu Unified School District's $67.4 million of bonds, going down to defeat. Barely 51% of voters opposed the Lake Havasu USD bonds.
Voters in the Marana Unified School District in Pima County approved $125 million of bonds with 59% approval.
The Madison Elementary School District's $95 million bond issue passed with more than 68% of the vote.
More than 61% of the voters favored an $80 million bond issue in Maricopa County's Queen Creek Unified School District.
Riverside Elementary School District's $50 million in bonds passed with 62% of the vote.
Buckeye Union High School District's $49 million of bonds garnered more than 51% of the vote.
The Litchfield Elementary School District's $35 million in bonds passed with more than 56% of the vote.
A $30 million bond for the Cave Creek Unified School District in Maricopa County passed with 54% in favor, and the repurposing of $10.2 million bond money left over from 2000 passed with 53%.
Vail Unified School District in Pima County won approval of $28.8 million of bonds with more than 63% of the voters in favor of the issue.
Fowler Elementary School District's $16 million of bonds passed with more than 65% of the vote.
Littleton Elementary School District $14.25 million bond proposal passed with nearly 59% of the vote.
Voters in the Quartzsite Elementary School District in La Paz County passed $1 million of bonds with 60% support.
School districts across the state also held tax override elections to finance operations, with most passing.
