Cochise County jail tax heads for approval in special election. Here's what it will fund

Sarah Lapidus, Arizona Republic
·1 min read
Cochise County is looking to build a new jail. County officials say the current one has a range of issues, including leaking, overcapacity, safety issues.
Cochise County is looking to build a new jail. County officials say the current one has a range of issues, including leaking, overcapacity, safety issues.

Cochise County voters approved a 25-year, half-cent excise tax to help pay for the construction, operation and funding of a new jail facility and county jail system, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's special election.

As of Wednesday night, 51.46% of voters approved of the new jail district with 48.48% opposed to it. These votes represent 25,017 votes cast, 32% of total county voters.

The county wants to replace the current jail which officials say is dilapidated, outdated, and ill-equipped to serve the growing Cochise County community. Built 40 years ago to hold 168 inmates, the current facility in Bisbee, which is the primary jail in the county, now has held more than 300 inmates.

The county also has two temporary holding facilities, one in Sierra Vista and another in Willcox.

Law enforcement officials and others also complained the current jail facility was built improperly, including the quality of construction, such as a lack of rebar, and the co-location of the boiler room and the electrical panels, which causes frequent power outages, among other issues.

A "Do not use" sign on equipment at the Cochise County Jail. County officials are asking voters in May 2023 to approve an excise tax to pay for a new facility.
A "Do not use" sign on equipment at the Cochise County Jail. County officials are asking voters in May 2023 to approve an excise tax to pay for a new facility.

Officials who traveled to the county holding town halls on the issue said a big part of the new jail will be having 24-hour medical care on-site, rather than the current jail’s medical clinic housed in a 12-foot-by-14-foot room, which used to be a locker room. The funding also will help adequately staff the facility.

If the jail district tax officially passes, the Board of Supervisors will take the next steps, which will likely include viability studies and requests for proposals, according to the county.

Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republic’s coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. To support regional Arizona news coverage like this, make a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cochise County jail tax heads for approval in special election