Cochise County supervisors select Bisbee site for new jail; vote 2-1 after public hearing

The Cochise County Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 to designate the existing jail site at 203 North Judd Drive in Bisbee as the official location for a proposed new county jail following a public hearing where residents, local officials and jail staff strongly urged keeping the facility in Bisbee.

The motion to select 203 North Judd Drive passed after public comment and discussion about costs, utilities, inmate transport and proximity to courts. The board did not record individual roll-call votes in the meeting minutes; the motion passed on voice vote with two supervisors in favor and one opposed.

Experts the county hired earlier recommended keeping the county seat location in Bisbee, and multiple speakers at the hearing repeated that recommendation. "The existing county seat in Bisbee is the optimal location for the new jail," Bisbee Mayor Ken Budge told the board, citing travel times, utilities and long-term operating efficiencies. Commander Bradshaw of the Sheriff’s Office noted state law on jail responsibility and urged consideration of staff commutes and transport burdens, saying in part that "the sheriff shall take charge…