MARANA, Ariz. (KVOA) – A community discussion is unfolding in Marana as residents rally to determine the future of corporate tax incentives in their town. According to a press release, more than 2,000 voters have signed a referendum petition seeking to challenge a town council decision that could grant substantial tax breaks to a developer.
On December 16, 2025, the Town Council approved a 19-acre downtown entertainment and multi-use district, promising up to $84 million in sales and construction tax reimbursements to the developer. This decision has sparked concern among voters who worry about tax incentives benefiting wealthy developers over local interests.
Worker Power, a community group known for opposing similar projects in other Arizona cities, coordinated the petition effort. The group submitted the signatures to the Marana Town Clerk, who will verify them. If validated, the town council will determine when the referendum will appear on the ballot.
“We believe that the decisions made on this development are important enough that more community members should have direct input into them,” Executive Director of Worker Power Brendan Walsh said.
Walsh expressed confidence in involving voters directly, emphasizing that this approach ensures economic development decisions benefit the entire community, not just the companies involved.
The outcome of this process could influence how Marana approaches economic development and tax incentives in the future.
The Town of Marana released a statement regarding the petition, saying:
“The Town of Marana confirms that the Town Clerk yesterday issued an initial receipt to a representative from Arizonans for Responsible Development, sponsored by Worker Power, that contained an initial estimated count of over 2,000 filed signatures. The signatures will be going through the verification process required by A.R.S. 19-121.01 to determine the number of eligible signatures. The Town Clerk has 20 business days to verify that they’ve met the minimum requirement of 1,360 eligible signatures. If that requirement is met, a 5% random sample will then go to the Pima County Recorder’s Office for review.”