The House Committee on Appropriations on June 17 voted to allow the city of Winslow to place a question on a special election ballot in 2026 asking voters to reauthorize a 1% transaction privilege tax that is set to expire July 15, 2026.

Sponsor Representative Myron Sosie said the TPT was approved by Winslow voters in 2020 for five years and the city missed the consolidated election deadline this cycle; the bill authorizes a special election on either March 10, 2026, or May 19, 2026 so the tax question can be decided before the current levy expires. Karen Cruz, representing the city, described the omission as "a simple oops" and said the tax is important to maintain funding for Winslow Hospital, which also serves Holbrook and surrounding communities.

Committee action: the committee moved HB 29‑46 and returned it with a due‑pass recommendation. Committee members recorded the bill as returned with a due‑pass recommendation (tally reported in committee: 15 yeses, 2 noes, 1 voting present, 1 not voting).

Background and scope: staff told the panel the bill authorizes Winslow to hold a special municipal election for the limited purpose of reauthorizing the existing 1% TPT; the tax proceeds support local services including the hospital. The sponsor and city representative said the city’s prior five‑year authorization expires July 15, 2026 and the special election timeline will avoid a gap in funding.

Next steps: HB 29‑46 will proceed with a due‑pass recommendation; staff and the sponsor said they will supply any additional election and vote history records requested by committee members.

Ending note: proponents said the authorization is a targeted fix to allow voters in a rural municipality to renew a narrowly tailored tax that funds essential local services; at least one legislator said he would prefer consolidated November elections but supported this one‑time remedy for a small city with limited administrative capacity.