Cochise County hears broad public demand to repair, add and pave rural roads; board schedules follow-up work session

Bisbee, Ariz. — The Cochise County Board of Supervisors heard more than two hours of public comment on Nov. 6, 2025, as residents pressed the county to add, repave or otherwise improve dozens of rural roads that become impassable during monsoon season.

Jason Fazio, Cochise County Public Works Director, told the meeting that the county manages roughly 1,433 miles of county-maintained roads within a larger network of more than 5,000 miles of public and private roads. Jackie Watkins, the county engineer and director of engineering, said the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) — paid at the gas pump and fixed at about 18¢ per gallon since 1990 — has not kept pace with inflation and rising construction costs. Those funding limits, Watkins said, mean the county cannot maintain or upgrade every road residents requested.

The public comments, many supported by photo packets or neighborhood petitions, focused on a handful of recurring themes: chronic drainage and stormwater runoff that washes out roads and culverts; safety and emergency-access problems when fire and ambulance vehicles cannot reach homes during storms; and long-running local efforts to privately fund grading that residents said are no longer adequate. Speakers from Hargas (Hargis) Ranch, Chippewa, Calle Encina, South Kino, Miracle Valley, Calle Cuento and several other neighborhoods described roads that flood, form deep gullies or generate dust…