Cochise County Jail District board adopts ballot language for half‑cent jail sales tax after executive session

The Cochise County Jail District Board of Directors voted 3-0 during a public meeting in the Supervisor Hearing Room to adopt ballot language authorizing a half‑cent sales excise tax to pay for construction and financing of county jail facilities.

The ballot question the board approved reads in part: “Shall the Cochise County, Arizona Jail District be authorized to levy an excise sales tax of up to a half cent (0.50%) on most business transactions starting 07/01/2026? This tax would only pay for the construction and financing of county jail facilities and will end on the earlier of 90 days after the jail district debt secured by such tax is fully repaid or 07/01/2043.” The question will appear on the Nov. 4, 2025, ballot if the Elections Office accepts the submitted language.

The ballot language and the decision mattered because the measure would create a time-limited local revenue stream dedicated to paying bond financing and construction costs for jail facilities. County staff told the board the tax is structured to end either when the debt is repaid or on July 1, 2043, whichever comes first.

Board members moved to review a draft of the ballot language in executive session under Arizona law to obtain legal advice, then returned to public session to vote. The board entered executive session citing ARS 38-431.03(A)(3) and later approved the final resolution, listed as Jail District Resolution 25-03, by a 3-0 vote.

County Administrator Laura Gilman read the approved ballot language aloud for the public during the meeting and explained the timeline: the county called the election, faced short statutory deadlines to submit ballot language to the Elections Office, and had circulated a draft among bond counsel and county attorneys before the executive session. Gilman told the board the ballot language will be posted with the agenda item as approved by the board so the public can review it online.

Two members of the public who had requested to speak on the item raised transparency concerns before the board went into executive session. Radford Hyde said he was “almost aghast” that the ballot language file was not attached to the posted agenda and questioned the frequency of executive sessions, saying, “I just don't like it. I think that executive sessions are being used a little too commonly.” Tricia Jeradette told the board she lacked a basis to comment because the draft language had not been attached and said that limited advance access made it “a very frustrating situation.”

Board members and county counsel defended the use of an executive session for final legal review. Mister Kreia, deputy county attorney for civil matters, explained the privilege that allows attorneys and public officials to discuss legal strategy in private, saying the board has “a right like, any private party that has an attorney to free an open discussion with your attorney to bounce ideas around.” County Attorney Zuko said that no official action occurs in executive session and that “we still come out into regular session and have the discussion and then the formal vote.”

Attendees announced for the executive session included the three supervisors, county administrator Laura Gilman, deputy county administrator Mr. Casey, clerk of the board Miss Lowenheim, county attorney Miss Zuko, deputy civil counsel Mister Kreia, deputy Dylan Hindell, and bond counsel Zach Sakas. The board reported it exited executive session and resumed the public meeting to complete the vote.

The board also announced a public hearing on the continued establishment of the jail district for Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. and asked members of the public who had questions or comments to submit them by email if they could not speak at the meeting.

The board passed the motion to adopt Jail District Resolution 25-03 and approved the ballot language 3-0. The jail district meeting adjourned and the board moved on to a scheduled work session on emergency services.