Taxpayers Icy at Thought of Paying for a New Arizona Coyotes Arena
Opposition to new arena even stronger in the City of Tempe
Phoenix, AZ (September 2, 2021) Data Orbital is pleased to announce the results of its latest statewide, live-caller survey of Arizona registered voters. The survey was conducted from August 30th to 31st.
The survey focused on voters’ views surrounding sports stadium funding and sought to gauge their position on the use of taxpayer money to build a new stadium for the Phoenix Coyotes after they leave their current arena in Glendale.
Voters were unhappy about the use of taxpayer money being used for a new Coyotes facility, with only 39% of voters saying they would support the use of taxpayer funds.
There was even less interest among voters when asked if they would support the use of taxpayer money or tax breaks to provide additional funding to keep the Coyotes profitable, with 59.5% of voters being opposed. Opposition was consistent across party lines with Republicans at 61.5%, Democrats at 58.7%, and Independents at 58.5%.
Support was even lower for using Covid relief dollars to help fund a new arena. 81.1% of voters opposed using these funds for such a project, with 84.4% of Democrats being opposed.
Dissatisfaction with the use of public funds carried over to the politicians who supported such plans. 60.4% of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a legislative or city council candidate that supported the use of taxpayer funds to build additional entertainment arenas or provide tax breaks or subsidies to the owners of a professional sports franchise.
When asked what Arizona sports franchise they viewed most favorably, voters expressed their strongest support for the Arizona Cardinals (28.9%), Phoenix Suns (21.3%), and Arizona Diamondbacks (16%). They expressed less support for the teams outside of the North American “Big 3” Sports Leagues: Phoenix Coyotes (7.8%), Arizona Rising (3.2%), Phoenix Mercury (2.6%).
Finally, when asked how much taxpayer money they would be willing to provide for a new Coyotes Arena, 55% of voters said they would not support giving any money at all.
Pollster George Khalaf said, “The voters of Arizona don’t see another arena as necessary, especially given that we have plenty of existing entertainment venues in the Valley. Taxpayers are unwilling to bankroll a new arena for the Coyotes and would even be less likely to support elected officials who support any such moves. The conclusion is clear, no taxpayer money for a new arena.”
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This poll of 550 registered voters was conducted through a live survey that collected 59.1% of the results from landlines and 40.9% from cell phones. It has a margin of error at plus or minus 4.18% with a 95% confidence interval. Respondents were weighted on a number of different demographic figures based on registration data from the Arizona Secretary of State. The poll was conducted from August 30-31, 2021. All non-released questions would not reasonably be expected to influence responses to all released questions. The questions released are verbatim from the survey provided to respondents. Topline and demographic data can be found here. Crosstabs for this survey can be found here.
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Data Orbital is a full-service data solutions and survey research firm with local, state, and national experience. We offer precise data solutions, informed by political and policy intelligence, so our clients can chart the right course through the corporate or political landscape ahead.
ALL MEDIA INQUIRES:
George Khalaf | george@dataorbital.com | 480.560.5917
Joanna Duka | joanna@dataorbital.com | 623.312.0020
