Cochise County's special election ends Tuesday evening. Ballots were mailed in April and the results will determine whether or not the county gets to build a new jail.
More than 79,000 ballots were mailed out to registered voters in the area. As of Monday morning, the elections office received 22,590. Tuesday is the last day to drop off ballots. There will be ballot drop off boxes in Bisbee, Sierra Vista and Willcox.
Voters have had since mid-April to fill out their single-question ballot and return it to the county. The question is whether or not the sheriff's office can increase the sales tax by half a cent to build and operate a new jail. The construction of the new jail is estimated to cost $92 million. Sheriff Mark Dannels said he has $20 million from the state to go toward this project.
The sheriff's office held town halls in March to share why they need a new jail and to answer questions the public may have. However, some people don't think the tax payers should be responsible for paying for the new jail.“For me you gotta think, it’s a county jail so if something happens because it’s not secure, it’s not safe. It’s going to fall back on the tax payers,” she said.
The current jail is almost 40 years old and doesn't fill the needs of the current climate. Additions to the new jail would be more beds, an infirmary so nurses and the medical team actually have a safe place to conduct exams, and add mental health resources to the county and the jail.Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home.
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