Cochise County interim development director outlines budget shortfall, grant wins and enforcement gaps

Christine McLaughlin, interim director of Development Services, told the Cochise County Board of Supervisors at a May work session that the department is funded primarily by permit and inspection fees, supplemented by grants and an 18% general‑fund subsidy.

McLaughlin said "Approximately 86.5% or a little over a million dollars came from permit and inspection fees last year," and that total revenue for the department (excluding grants) was $1,158,283. She said salary, wages and benefits ran about $1,200,000 and that the department has 12.5 full‑time employees, a staffing level she described as low compared with similar Arizona counties.

The presentation grouped the department's work into planning/building services, facility management, economic development and real estate. McLaughlin reviewed several grant programs the county has used: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and SHIFT housing funds administered by the Arizona Department of Housing; Federal Highway Administration grants that funded…