Cochise County supervisors approve housing plan contract, facility upgrades and community grants as residents raise concerns about elections equipment and law‑p

The Cochise County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Bisbee approved a contract to prepare a county affordable-housing plan, authorized replacement of building HVAC units and OK'd community cleanup grants, while public speakers raised concerns about election equipment, a $4,000 sheriff payment and delays in superior-court e-filing.

The actions came during the board’s regular meeting at 10 a.m. in the Board of Supervisor Hearing Room. The board approved the consent agenda and then voted to: (1) provide District 2 with two roll-off dumpsters for a community cleanup not to exceed $2,500; (2) enter into contract 25-09-DEVD-01 with Elliot Pollock to prepare an affordable housing plan for $177,400; and (3) transfer $175,000 from general fund contingency to replace 24 gas pack units at 1415 W. Melody Lane, Building A, in Bisbee. All three motions passed.

Why it matters: the housing contract funds a countywide assessment and strategy that the board said will include a Douglas‑specific component tied to local economic development. The facilities spending covers building HVAC replacements the county said are needed for safety and operations. The votes also finalizes small community aid to support a cleanup project organized by Thunder Mountain Church.

Public comments and election equipment

Several members of the public used the board’s public-comment period to object to the county’s election equipment purchases and to question other agenda items. Radford Hyde of Sierra Vista criticized plans to buy additional ES&S voting equipment, saying the county was “spending good money after bad” and calling for supervisors to respond to election-integrity advocates. Hyde said supervisors who ran with election-integrity support had not acted on those constituents’ concerns.

Resident Eli Dalton Webb questioned a consent-item payment he said would send "$4,000 to the county sheriff to basically harass citizens over seat belt laws," and he criticized perceived delays and lack of transparency in superior-court e-filing. Webb also asked when the board would discuss jail visitation with Sheriff Mark Daniels; the board did not take action on that request at the meeting.

Allison Morse, who identified herself during public comment, thanked the board for approving two high-speed ballot scanners and two automated letter openers for the Elections Department and for supporting a remodel intended to increase visibility while ballots are processed. "These machines will increase the speed of processing ballots," Morse said, and she asked the board to improve meeting procedures so one speaker is heard at a time and public positions are recorded in the minutes.

Board discussion and staff reports

Development Services staff member Bronson told the board the county received an Arizona Department of Housing grant of $194,450 and solicited proposals for a consultant to prepare a housing needs assessment and investment strategy. The consultant contract approved with Elliot Pollock includes a countywide housing needs assessment, a housing investment strategy and a Douglas-specific component titled “Housing and Economic Development Alignment for the City of Douglas.” The board noted Douglas’s planned port-of-entry improvements as a factor in local housing demand.

Interim County Administrator Sharon Gilman reminded the public that the General Services Administration will hold a public meeting on May 7 on a draft supplemental environmental impact statement related to the Raul Castro port-of-entry remodel at the Douglas Visitor Center, starting at 4 p.m.; she said the meeting would be open until about 6 p.m. Gilman also said the county is finalizing budget numbers and will present revenue projections and an overall budget plan to the board next week.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (items 1–6): approved (motion and second on the floor; board voiced "aye" and motion passed). - Item 7 — Community enhancement fund (District 2): provide two roll‑off dumpsters to Thunder Mountain Church for a community cleanup, not to exceed $2,500 — approved. - Item 8 — Contract 25-09-DEVD-01 with Elliot Pollock for an affordable housing plan, $177,400 — approved. - Item 9 — Transfer of general fund contingency to Facilities to replace 24 gas pack units at 1415 W. Melody Lane, Building A, Bisbee, $175,000 — approved.

No formal action was taken on state and federal legislative matters during the meeting; supervisors announced a work session and public comment opportunity on May 13 regarding Mexican gray wolf issues and related enforcement observations.

The board adjourned and scheduled a special executive-session meeting at 3 p.m. the same day in the Board of Supervisors Executive Conference Room.