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Bisbee council to place Home Rule spending question on Nov. 3 ballot
Summary
The Bisbee Mayor and Council unanimously approved Resolution R-26-19 to submit the Home Rule Option — allowing city expenditures beyond state limits under Article IX, Section 20 of the Arizona Constitution — to voters on Nov. 3, 2026, after discussing population-driven formulas and recent grant activity.
The Bisbee Mayor and Council voted unanimously on June 16 to place a Home Rule spending proposition before voters on Nov. 3, 2026, moving Resolution R-26-19 forward after a short discussion about the assumptions driving the city's expenditure estimates.
Councilmember Mel Sowid questioned projections in the resolution's estimated expenditure schedules, saying the Public Works line “declined from approximately $23 million in 2028, to $20 million in 2029, and further to $19 million in 2031.” Mayor Ken Budge and Finance Director Keri Bagley told the Council those declines were driven largely by the state formula's use of population estimates and by tapering grant activity. Bagley reiterated that “these were estimates only.”
The Home Rule Option — rooted in Article IX, Section 20 of the Arizona Constitution — must be renewed by Bisbee every four years so the city can authorize expenditures that would otherwise exceed state-imposed limits. Budge characterized the state baseline as outdated, saying it “dated back to '1882,'” and said the city hoped population trends would reverse, calling that outcome “our plan.” He also noted the city had received nearly $25 million in grants over the past five years, which inflated recent figures in the projections.
Councilmember Anna Cline moved to approve Resolution R-26-19; Councilmember Mel Sowid seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. The measure will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot for voter consideration.
The Council's action does not itself change the expenditure limit; it sends the question to voters. The staff materials the Council reviewed characterized several line items as estimates contingent on population projections and future grant awards.
