By Gianni Martinez
Chancellor Jeffrey P. Nasse going over Prop 430 presentation. Photo by Gianni Martinez.
The Pima Foundation hosted an informational session regarding the upcoming Proposition 430 on Monday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. This general obligation (GO) bond will be on our ballot for the upcoming election in November. Informational sessions hosted between different campuses are an opportunity to ask questions and will help Pima County voters better understand how the proposed bond would support students, workforce development and our region’s future.
It’s been over 30 years since Pima Community College last asked voters for bond support. In 2009, Arizona stopped funding community college construction, eliminating operating funding in 2015. In addition, many PCC classrooms, labs and facilities were built in the 1970s and need modernization to support today’s students, technology and workforce. Since then, PCC has lost an estimated $221 million in state funding and now faces over $50 million in necessary repairs and upgrades.
If authorized on election day, Nov. 3, 2026, this GO bond of $250 million will address critical repairs, expand learning spaces and create new training facilities for high-demand careers. Proposition 430 will fund five new success centers curated to each PCC campus with the estimated cost of each one being over $25 million. The impact of this bond will increase the local workforce supported by PCC, with one in every 35 jobs in Pima County, totaling approximately 16,651 new employment opportunities. Additionally, $4 million will be the estimated annual savings from refinancing PCC’s existing debt.
This project is expected to start its first phase in early January or February of 2027, with an estimated timeline between three to five years. With this being the right time and PCC exhausting all internal resources, according to speakers at the informational session, the GO bond will be just what PCC needs for future development. The refinancing GO bond gives flexibility and releases pressure to ensure continued growth.
With this bond, Pima will be able to keep future tuition and tax increases less frequent and lower. Without the support and resources, PCC will likely have to consider further tuition and tax increases and or assess the continuing viability of existing locations.
Pima Foundation CEO and founder, Marcy Euler, said that Prop 430 will increase opportunities for PCC students, and that she’s seen a lot of growth over the past eight years here at Pima and how Prop 430 will be beneficial for all.
“It is going to continue to offer students exceptional opportunities in world-class facilities with faculty that are excited about being in new and improved spaces,” Euler said.
Information on Proposition 430 and the impact it’ll have on Pima Community College was taken from resources provided by the Pima Foundation staff. See here for more information and the sources from which this article was written.
Don’t forget to mark your calendar with the upcoming election dates!
Oct. 5, 2026: Last day to register to vote.
Oct. 7, 2026: Early ballots mailed; early voting begins.
November 3, 2026: Election Day.