Bisbee council rescinds DMO offer, approves procurement code amendment

Mayor Ken Budge told the Bisbee Mayor and Council on Jan. 20 that he had offered Bisbee Forward negotiation for a Destination Marketing Organization role without following the city’s procurement code and moved to rescind that offer. The council voted unanimously to rescind the prior offer and, after discussion, voted 6–1 to send a notice of solicitation for a DMO to a work session for further review and to define the city’s needs.

The rescission followed public comments raising concern about process and urgency for addressing tourism revenue. Liza Kovach and other speakers noted declining tourism dollars; one speaker cited a roughly $500,000 sales-tax shortfall for Cochise County-area tourism revenues while Mayor Budge said December financials showed the city was about $200,000 ahead year‑over‑year but that tourism revenue was down. Sarah Prochnau of Bisbee Forward expressed disappointment at the process and questioned RFP language during public comment.

Council also adopted Ordinance O‑26‑02 to amend Chapter 3.5 (Procurement) of the Bisbee City Code. Melanie Greene told council the ordinance had been brought forward after a notice of intent at the previous meeting; Councilmember Pete Skinner moved to adopt the ordinance and the vote was unanimous (7–0). Councilmembers who supported referring the DMO solicitation to a work session said they wanted clearer procurement procedures and stakeholder input before issuing a contract valued over $5,000 as required by code.

What happens next: The council’s referral to a work session means staff will draft a clearer scope and solicitation language for a DMO and return for a dedicated discussion before issuing an RFP or negotiating a contract.