By Andrew Adams, Guest Writer
I want to start by saying something that unites us all: mental health is a serious issue in Arizona. I have seen it up close, both here and in Utah.
Friends, neighbors, and coworkers have tried to navigate a broken system that too often fails the very people it is supposed to help. This is not an abstract policy discussion—it is something real families are struggling with every day.
But let us also be clear. Proposition 409 did not arrive on the ballot because citizens signed petitions. It was placed there without signatures, without warning, and most people never saw it coming.
That makes it even more important to recognize the responsibility of monitoring who is elected to the Valleywise Health Board of Directors. This board can place massive bonds like 409 on the ballot without requiring citizen signatures.
That authority comes with a duty to taxpayers. If we want transparency and accountability, we must stay engaged in who sits on that board, demand open communication, and hold them accountable for how they manage the billions already entrusted to them.
The debate over 409 is not about whether mental health matters. The debate is about how we fund solutions and whether taxpayers are being treated fairly.
In 2014, Valleywise Health asked voters for a $935 million bond. Voters approved it, and property owners are still paying for it today. That bond runs until at least 2038.
Now, just 10 years later, they are back asking for another 30-year bond—another permanent increase to property taxes. This is compounding debt with no end in sight.
So, what did the 2014 bond deliver? I spoke with physicians in my district. Aside from the burn unit, Valleywise is among the lowest performing in the state. They point to limited access, poor care, unfinished projects, and poor planning.
Taxpayers are still waiting for the promised results of the 2014 bond, yet Valleywise is already asking for billions more. Do we reward out-of-control spending and lack of transparency by giving them even more?
Taxpayer money should never be treated as limitless. If Valleywise and others are going to seek new funding, those dollars must come with strict oversight, detailed reporting, and public audits so voters know exactly how the money is being used.
We should also expand the conversation beyond property taxes. Arizona is home to major organizations like SRP and the Arizona Diamondbacks with both resources and platforms to make a difference.
Instead of relying almost exclusively on property taxes, why not invite these organizations to play a larger role in developing sustainable funding models for mental health?
For example:
SRP could expand its charitable assistance models, creating a dedicated community fund for mental health. With their large customer base, even small voluntary contributions could generate millions annually.
The Diamondbacks already raise millions for local causes. A campaign specifically for mental health could provide consistent funding while rallying fans and the community.
These are examples of how endorsing entities could step up with meaningful contributions that reduce the need for compounding property taxes—or at least ease the burden.
This is not about shifting responsibility, but about collaboration. It is about corporate citizens standing with taxpayers rather than leaving homeowners to carry the entire load.
If such strategies had been pursued since 2014, how much could already have been raised to address these issues without new taxes?
In Utah, the Huntsman Mental Health Institute was funded through charitable contributions and existing tax revenue, without adding new property taxes. That partnership produced one of the most respected facilities in the nation.
It proved that if the cause is truly important, private and public sectors can fund it without constantly going back to homeowners.
Rejecting 409 is not rejecting mental health. It is rejecting an unsustainable funding method. It is saying we want accountability, transparency, and results for money already being spent.
It is saying we want to see Valleywise, SRP, the Diamondbacks, and other community leaders bring fresh ideas and real investment.
Valleywise and its backers are trying to solve it the wrong way.
Andrew Adams is the chairman of the LD14 Republican Party.