As Cochise County prepares to send out ballots for a special election in May, prison districts will be created to fund an estimated $100 million in facilities pending voter approval. plus 0.5 cent sales tax for 25 years. The county has expressed an opinion on adding a new tax to help fund projects.

The special election centers around the growing need to build a new county jail. The Bisbee County Jail was built to serve him for 20 years and had a capacity of 168. Now that age he has doubled and the capacity has been changed to almost double.

Kenneth Bradshaw, the prison’s commandant, said even dating back to 1985, when the prison was built, the facility’s design was not up to date and its infrastructure raised health and safety concerns for staff and inmates. Said it was causing

“Our infrastructure is terrible,” said Bradshaw at the county’s town hall meeting in Sierra Vista in March. “Last summer we had to move an entire facility, basically a big, long extension cord. 325 and our highest was 336.

“What this means is that a guy who’s due in 24 hours because he’s caught on the way home from drinking too many martinis at VFW has to be in the same pod as the guy who was in downtown Sierra and stabbed someone with lots of holes. Vista,” continued Bradshaw. “So it’s not safe for the inmates or the staff.”

If approved by voters on May 16, the estimated revenue from the temporary 0.5-cent sales tax would be about $8.5 million annually over 25 years. Spread across the county’s population, it costs $67.21 per resident per year.

Cochise County Administrator Richard Karvatzka said the reason the county decided to propose a sales tax instead of a property tax was to reduce the total annual cost for residents.

“The calculation is that in order to get the same income of $8.5 million a year, property taxes would have to go up by 31%,” Karwatka said.

A 31% increase in property taxes would cost Cochise County residents $83 a year instead of $67.21 a year.

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Danells said the prison’s initial total estimated cost was $92 million.

“That’s a lot of money. I respect that,” said Sheriff Dunnels. “So I went to your state representative, Gail Griffin, last year and said, ‘Gail, I need your help…’

“We tried to get to $20 million by 2027, offset the costs, and bring this down to $72 million,” Dannels continued.

Karwaczka said the estimated cost of the facility is now closer to $100 million.

A county spokesperson said the levy would fully cover the costs of construction, maintenance, operations, and additional staff to the prison.

If the sales tax is approved, it will generate approximately $212.5 million in total revenue over a 25-year term.

County residents are generally in favor of building a new prison, but they disagree on how to finance it.

Sierra Vista resident Carol Welsh said she was in favor of building a new prison and using the sales tax to raise the money.

“I stand by whatever Sheriff Mark Danells says,” said Welsh, who attended a conference in Sierra Vista in March. ”

When asked about her thoughts on the proposed sales tax, Wales says she’s in favor of it.

“One of the things I really like is that the money spent in Cochise County is donated,” Welsh said. “We have a lot of visitors here. Snowbirds come too. Then every dollar spent in the county, whether it comes from residents or not, contributes to that.”

Sierra Vista resident Joe Crapps said he also supports building a new county jail and adding a sales tax to fund it.

“We have to do something,” Craps said. “And it’s a very expensive process… Mark has a problem there and we have to solve that problem. Can we solve it another way? I hope the money is falling from the sky and I don’t have to worry. I don’t know a better way to do that.”

Crapps said he doesn’t like the idea of ​​adding a property tax. Because it limits your income pool to only those who own property within the county.

“Sales tax applies to everyone who visits here, not just those who live here.

But not everyone is in favor of funding prisons through a sales tax. Wilcox Mayor Mike Lowes said he was in favor of building a new county jail, but opposed tax increases.

Wilcox’s sales tax is currently 9.1%, and if a 0.5-cent sales tax is approved, he said it will be difficult for businesses to compete with neighboring Graham County’s Safford and Thatcher.

“Because you came out like New Mexico…and they’re a 5.75 percent tax,” Lowes said. I’m sure hell won’t be 10%-a few percent,” he said.

“For better or worse, we’re just being taxed to death,” Lowes said.

Douglas currently has the highest sales tax at 9.9%, followed by Bisbee, Benson and Tombstone at 9.6%, according to the county. The largest municipality in Cochise County, Sierra Vista, currently has a tax rate of 8.05%, Huachuca City has a tax rate of 8.0%, and land in unincorporated counties is 6.10%.

Willcox City Manager Caleb Blaschke said Thatcher and Safford currently have a tax rate of 8.6%.

Instead of adding a sales tax, the law requires Sheriff Donnells to lobby the state legislature for more funding and seek partnerships with Fort Huachuca and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to increase the cost of additional fees for prisons. I recommend looking for federal funds.

“They listen,” he said. “There are really good, understanding people in government on both sides of the aisle. But you have to know how to communicate with them.”

Bisbee resident Fred Miller said he was also in favor of the new prison, opposed to the proposed sales tax, and wanted to know specifically where the new facility would be located.

“While I support the new prisons, I will be voting ‘No’ on this particular proposal in the May poll for two reasons,” Miller said. “One is how they funded it. .”

Cochise County spokeswoman Jane Montgomery said in an email that both Sheriff Donnells and Commander Bradshaw said at six town hall meetings that there were plans to build a prison in Bisbee.

“The county has never hidden its existing plans for the new location,” Montgomery said. In a response session, we made it clear that we support building a new prison on or near our current location, due to its proximity to the county courthouse complex.”

“The reason this cannot be put forward as a concrete plan at this time is that it is wrong and misleading to say that this will happen with certainty, as a detailed investigation has not yet taken place and will not take place until after the election. , if the vote is yes,” she continued.

If county residents voted “yes” to create a prison district, Montgomery said the first step would be to retain a consulting firm that conducts detailed feasibility studies on building new facilities. said.

“These studies are likely to cost about $1.5 million, which is why they are not conducted before the election. It will be wasted,” Montgomery said.

The All-Mail Vote Special Election will be held on May 16th. The last day to register to vote is his April 17th, and ballots will be mailed to voters in Cochise County on his April 19th. The county is encouraging voters to mail in her ballot by May 10.