Residents press county for road maintenance and emergency access; supervisors schedule Nov. 6 public meeting

Residents of rural areas told the Cochise County Board of Supervisors during the Oct. 7 call to the public that county roads near SunSites and other rural stretches are deteriorating and can impede emergency access.

George Adams told the board he and neighbors have been "having to maintain the roads ourselves" and said heavy dump trucks and county vehicles have accelerated damage. Adams added that "we have some 90‑year‑old people who have lived out there since the sixties who can't get ambulance service because the ambulance can't get there." Alfred Kern and other residents echoed concerns about emergency access and said previous complaints had produced few results.

Supervisor Lisonbee Gomez said she had spoken with county public works and acknowledged heavy recent rains; she announced a Nov. 6 meeting where residents can speak and submit evidence such as dates and photographs to help the county prioritize add/drop road lists. Gomez said countywide budget pressures and a mix of grant funding mean the county must prioritize roads by emergency access and population served; she asked residents to bring documentation to avoid a "he‑said, she‑said" outcome.

Supervisor Sierra Crosby urged residents to compile a chronology of contacts — dates, times and who they spoke with — to improve tracking and help staff respond. County staff said they will conduct follow‑up and visually inspect impacted roads; the board did not authorize an immediate funding change at the meeting but set the Nov. 6 public meeting to collect evidence and inform future scheduling.