COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Cochise County voters will see a familiar question on their November ballot: whether to approve a half-cent sales tax increase to fund construction of a new jail.
This marks the second time residents will vote on the measure after an appeals court invalidated the 2023 election results. The court ruled that inactive voters did not receive ballots as required by state law for this type of tax proposal.
The current Cochise County jail is nearly 40 years old and deteriorating rapidly, according to Sheriff Mark Dannels.
"No matter what it is in that jail, it's collapsing, and that's just like a car only lasts so long," he said.
The proposed half-cent sales tax would generate funds specifically for the construction of the new jail facility to replace the aging structure that county officials say has become too costly to maintain.
"And as a sheriff, I want to make sure we're doing what's right for our citizens. But number two is to fulfill my mandate to operate reasonably and maintain a jail, and this jail is no longer reasonable to maintain. This has just become a money pit," Dannels said.
Dan LaChance, who filed the original lawsuit that led to the 2023 election being overturned, settled his case with the county in March 2025. He continues to believe alternative funding sources exist for the jail project.
LaChance gave this statement to KGUN:
"I was in the Army for 34 years defending and upholding the Constitution. I'm 100% against unconstitutional government. The county is using a statute to unconstitutionally to circumvent our constitutional civil rights. They are using it to create a massive new tax on the citizens of up to $200 million over 17 years, yet they salt away $19 million a year in a contingency fund. Why not use some of it? As a friend said, they have a $295 million a year budget. Why not cut 10% a year for 5 years and pay for the whole thing and not raise our taxes?
They already have about $40 million in funds for this project. These are some of the reasons that I am strictly against this unconstitutional Jail District. I urge everyone to stand against it."
The election now faces new legal challenges. Cochise County resident Steven Dickinson has filed a lawsuit against the county, arguing that residents should have had the opportunity to sign petitions before the tax question was placed on the ballot.
"I'm not against the jail or for the jail. In any case, here, this is strictly about constitutional law and making our elected officials follow the Constitution," Dickinson said.
Dickinson is seeking an injunction to stop the election from proceeding.
"We're at a point now where we really don't have a lot of choice. We have to try to get an injunction to stop this election before it happens. I don't want to see the voters hurt. I don't want to see anybody hurt, but I want to see this done constitutionally," Dickinson said. “My no vote is simply because these people have have decided to go against the Constitution rather than support it the way they agreed to do in January when they raised the right hand and it's got to stop you.”
He expects a judicial decision on the motion for injunction this week.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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