Where to vote
Precinct	Polling Place	Address
164	Silverbell Baptist Church	3344 N. Campbell Ave.
165	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints	1540 E. Linden St.
166	Miles Exploratory Learning Center	1400 E. Broadway Blvd.
167	Plumbers & Steamfitters Local #741	2475 E. Water St.
168	Bethel Christian Reformed Church	2550 N. Tucson Blvd.
169	Tucson Association for the Blind	3767 E. Grant Road
Check your voter registration card to find your precinct number. For the exact location of your polling place, go to the Pima County Recorder's Web site at http://www.recorder.co.pima.az/geocode/search.html.

Major issues include sales tax hike to improve transportation

Voters city-wide will go to the polls today to elect three city councilmen and decide on three ballot measures.

Republican incumbent Fred Ronstadt is taking on Democrat Gayle Hartmann for the Tucson City Council seat in Ward 6, which includes the University of Arizona.

In Ward 3, candidates include Democrat Paula Aboud, Republican Kathleen Dunbar and Libertarian Jonathan Hoffman.

Current councilman Democrat Steve Leal runs uncontested in Ward 5.

Although candidates run for seats from specific wards, voters are not limited to casting ballots for the specific districts they live in. Rather, each voter will be able to select a candidate in each ward.

Ronstadt, a part-time financial analyst and current vice-mayor, said he opposes city purchases of open space and would support a sales tax increase to help fund transportation improvements if studied by a citizens committee. He would reduce social services and charitable giving. Ronstadt also supports a hiring freeze to help balance the city's budget and will look at a policy to eliminate employee layoffs.

Hartmann, an archaeologist and editor of scientific journals, waged a heated campaign against Ronstadt, accusing him of ignoring environmental concerns in favor of big business.

In a radio ad, she said Ronstadt "ignored the neighbors and voted to put a polluting power plant on the East Side."

Hartmann also supports a structured sales tax increase for transportation, but wants to purchase open space and limit urban expansion. She supports a hiring freeze for the city and would consider charging a fee for trash collection and landfill maintenance.

Dunbar, the Republican candidate for Ward 3, would also support a sales tax if backed by a citizens committee and funding for road projects including cross-town parkways. She would reduce social-service spending, possibly eradicate charitable giving and limit garbage pickup to once a week.

Her Democratic opponent, Aboud, supports a sales tax to fund improvements or maintain existing roads. She will encourage Republican Mayor Bob Walkup and the Council to review the city's budget every month and wants to establish a citizens committee to review the budget and look for cuts.

Hoffman, the Libertarian candidate in Ward 3, opposes a sales tax increase to fund transportation improvements, but wants to use current funds for improving roads and would maintain Sun Tran as a "charity transit system." He would attempt to eliminate social-service funding and privatize trash collection. He opposes government charity and art support.

About 193,000 of Tucson's 487,000 residents are eligible to vote. In the 1999 general election, 86,000 Tucsonans voted.

The City Council currently consists of five Democrats and two Republicans, so today's vote is unlikely to swing the balance of power.

In addition to the City Council vote, three propositions are also on the ballot in today's election.

Proposition 100 relates to salaries of the mayor and Council. It would increase the mayor's salary from $3,500 to $4,000 per month, and council members' salaries from $2,000 per month to $2,700 per month.

Proposition 400 proposes granting a franchise for gas transmission and distribution services to Southwest Gas Corporation.

Proposition 401 involves ratification of the updated and revised City of Tucson General Plan.