Graham County extends tower leases with Singular affiliate, enabling up to 25-year term

The Graham County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 4 to approve amendments extending leases with a cellular operator that maintains equipment on three county-owned towers. County Manager Dustin Welker told the board the operator — identified in county materials as Singular and noted to be affiliated with T‑Mobile — has equipment on towers at Graham Cemetery, Pima City Hall and a site behind the county offices in Safford. The amendments add five successive five‑year extension options, creating a potential 25‑year extension; rent under the lease will increase automatically by 3% each year under the proposed terms. Welker told the board the county currently receives just under $6,000 per month in combined lease payments for the three sites. Supervisors raised questions about long‑term exposure if third‑party lessors such as the town of Pima or Bureau of Land Management change their fees; Welker said staff would follow up with information about the county’s options for extending or aligning those underlying agreements. After discussion, supervisors moved and seconded approval of the lease amendments for the three cited sites. The motion passed by voice vote. Board members said the leases support local communications infrastructure and generate recurring county revenue; one supervisor asked staff to report back on related lease dependencies with other land owners.