This appeared in the August 27 edition of Inside Tucson Business:

Six Arizona municipalities rank among the nation’s top 25 cities for having the highest combined rates of state and municipal sales taxes, according to the Tax Foundation, Washington, D.C. Tucson was No. 16 at a combined rate of 9.1 percent.

Two other Arizona cities were higher; Glendale, at a rate of 9.6 percent, ranked No. 8 and Phoenix, with a rate of 9.4 percent, was No. 12. The other Arizona cities in the top 25 are Scottsdale, at 9.05 percent, ranked No. 18; and Chandler and Gilbert, at 8.9 percent, tied for No. 23.

The foundation’s study covered 107 metropolitan areas with populations of 200,000 or more. Birmingham and Montgomery, both in Alabama, have the nation’s highest combined sales tax rate at 10 percent. The lowest among the top 25 was New York, at 8.875 percent. But the report also found two major cities, Anchorage, Alaska, and Portland, Ore., where state and local governments charge no sales tax at all.

If a majority of Tucson voters is duped into voting for Prop 400 in November, Tucson's rate will go from 9.1 to 9.6, and will be tied with Glendale for eighth-highest rate in the nation.

The ITB article is here:

http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2010/08/27/news/doc4c78006d285ad928559199....

More about Tucson's Prop 400 here:

http://www.cutwastefirst.com/