PHOENIX — A new $4 fee on Uber and Lyft rides to and from the Phoenix airport is “very likely” unconstitutional, the state attorney general said Thursday, upping the ante in the showdown that has led the ride-hailing giants to threaten to abandon the airport service. The fees approved by the Phoenix City Council probably violated a 2018 ballot measure prohibiting higher taxes on services, Attorney General Mark Brnovich said. The Arizona Supreme Court will make a final determination on the issue. By law, Phoenix could lose its share of state revenue, a third of its general fund budget, if the fee hike is found to be illegal and isn't repealed by the city. Lawyers for the city say the higher fees are not taxes on services, but rather permissible charges for businesses to use the city-owned Sky Harbor International Airport, one of the largest U.S. airports serving some 44 million passengers a year.

Source: International New York Times January 16, 2020 23:03 UTC