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Residents urge county for more road work as supervisors cite limited funds
Summary
Multiple residents told supervisors at the Oct. 21 meeting that dirt roads and washed‑out approaches are impeding access to homes and businesses. Supervisors said Cochise County has limited road funds and will seek more state support; staff outlined data showing low average daily traffic that complicates priority decisions.
Several residents used the Board of Supervisors’ Oct. 21 public‑comment period to press for more road maintenance and for basic improvements to dirt roads that, they said, impede ambulances and residents during storms.
George Adams, Alfred Kern and others described frequent wash‑outs and a need for gravel or grading on primitive county roads. Kern said a 97‑year‑old couple living on a mountain road could face life‑threatening access problems if emergency vehicles cannot get through. Mark Gibbs and other neighbors visiting the Wild Horse appeal hearing repeatedly described multiple washes on Ocotillo Road and worries that event traffic would increase risk.
Supervisor Crosby said he would meet with residents and that supervisors had used available community enhancement funds for road work; Supervisor Antonori described the county’s funding constraints. Antonori noted the county oversees roughly 3,000 county roads and said Cochise County must seek more funding from the state legislature and that Arizona Department of Transportation funds are limited. He said county staff is also reviewing priority grading and chip‑seal candidates and that current average daily traffic counts influence pavement decisions.
Antonori cited a county traffic counter near Mile Marker 7 showing roughly 207 vehicles per day at that location; he said chip seal is generally justified at higher traffic volumes and that trying to prioritize limited resources requires balancing many demands across public safety, courts, health and other county services. He said staff will bring more details to a Nov. 6 meeting about road priorities.
Residents asked the board for clearer communication on how and when roads get addressed and urged more frequent grading and selective delivery of rock or gravel to wash locations. Supervisors acknowledged the concerns and said the county would continue to examine options, but emphasized the current limits of staff and road‑maintenance budgets.
The board did not make a new funding appropriation at the meeting; supervisors said any significant change to road spending would require budget decisions or additional state support.
