Arizona ballot measure · November 3, 2026

Arizona Proposition 316, explained

Limits on city taxes on groceries. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

RETROACTIVELY PROHIBITS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM ADOPTING OR INCREASING A TAX ON GROCERIES WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL AND SETS A MAXIMUM RATE OF 2%. A "yes" vote shall have the effect of: (1) retroactively prohibiting local governments from adopting or increasing a tax on groceries from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027; and (2) after that time, prohibiting local governments from adopting or increasing a tax on groceries without voter approval and limiting any new or increased tax to a maximum rate of 2%. A "no" vote shall have the effect of maintaining the current laws relating to local government taxation.

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

Freezes city and town taxes on groceries: no new or higher local food taxes between July 2025 and June 2027, and afterwards any new tax or increase would need local voter approval and could not exceed 2%. Cities already at 2% or more could keep their current rate but not raise it.

If you vote YES

Cities, towns and other taxing jurisdictions could not adopt or raise a tax on food for home consumption between June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2027, applied retroactively.
After that, any new or increased grocery tax would need approval from local voters and could not exceed 2% of the tax base.
Places with a grocery tax of 2% or more before January 1, 2025 could keep it but not increase it; places at or below that could only lower it once above the cap.

If you vote NO

Cities and towns would keep their current authority to set or raise taxes on groceries under existing state law, without a statewide cap or required local vote.
Grocery taxes already in place would be unaffected either way.

The numbers that matter

Maximum rate for new or increased grocery taxes: 2%
Freeze period: July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027

Why supporters say YES

The measure is a balanced compromise: cities keep their existing food tax revenue so services are not cut, while residents get the final say, and a cap, on any future increase.
— Official argument for, by Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke, President, and René Guillen, Executive Director, League of Arizona Cities and Towns

Why opponents say NO

The measure restricts revenue cities and towns need; small and rural towns rely heavily on food taxes, which make up more than 30% of the budget in Taylor, and limits could force service cuts or higher property taxes.
— Official argument against, by Melinda Iyer and Catherine Sigmon, Co-Directors, Civic Engagement Beyond Voting
Requiring a public vote for any minor increase adds administrative cost and takes budget decisions away from local officials under home rule.
— Official argument against, by Gayle Shanks and Clive Sommer, co-founders, Changing Hands Bookstore

What’s genuinely uncertain

How much revenue cities would forgo depends on whether they would otherwise have raised grocery taxes; no official fiscal estimate was found. Opponents cite a 2023 bill vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs that they say would have cost 65 cities over $150 million a year, but that bill differed from this measure.
The League of Arizona Cities and Towns supports this version while other local-control advocates oppose it, reflecting a negotiated compromise.

The bottom line

Keeping grocery taxes from rising without a local vote, against less flexibility for cities, especially small towns that depend on food tax revenue.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:azsos.gov apps.azsos.gov apps.azsos.gov azleg.gov

Checking it against the official text

The Arizona Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Arizona Secretary of State.

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