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County considers consolidating Bowie and Willcox JP courts
By CAROL BROEDER/Arizona Range News
Concerned citizens in the Bowie and San Simon voting precincts may attend one of two public hearings next week on the proposed consolidation of the Bowie justice court into Willcox.
The first public hearing will be Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. in the San Simon Unified School Gym, 2226 W. Business I-10, in San Simon.
The second public hearing will be Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Enloe Auditorium of Bowie High School, at Fifth and Washington Streets, in Bowie.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors is considering the consolidation of Justice Precinct #6 with Justice Precinct #4 when Bowie Judge Linda Hale retires. The county is also considering retaining the three full-time clerks at the Bowie court.
Officials believe the county could save about $82,000 with the consolidation. The money could be used to provide more services in Bowie, such as expanding the public library.
The board held a work session in Bisbee on Monday, Feb. 6, which Hale and Judge Judy Bethel of Willcox attended via video conferencing, as well as representatives from the county sheriff's department and the San Simon Port of Entry.
A document distributed at the meeting shows the case filings in the Willcox and Bowie courts for 2004 and 2005.
In 2005, Willcox had a total of 4,310 cases filed; with 2,180 civil traffic, 1,092 criminal traffic, 649 misdemeanors, 258 felonies, and 131 civil matters.
The same year Bowie had a total of 5,700 cases filed; with 2,843 civil traffic, 2,384 criminal traffic, 452 misdemeanors, 23 felonies, and 18 civil matters.
The two courts combined had 10,010 cases in 2005.
County officials believe that the "vast bulk of Bowie's work involves Interstate-10 traffic, which could be done in Willcox."
The document also shows actual revenue in 2005 as $252,435 in Willcox and $475,403 in Bowie, for a total of $727,838.
The 2006 budget expenses, including a mandated salary increase in 2007 for the justice of the peace, are $243, 478 for Willcox, and $241,722 for Bowie.
The document shows a shortfall of -$8,957 for Willcox and -$233,681 for Bowie, with a total of -$242,638.
The total consolidated court cost is -$324,950, with the actual 2005 revenue of $689,753 and the budget 2006 expense of $364,803.
"Our precinct is a large one. I feel that to do away with the judge's position would be detrimental to Bowie and San Simon," Hale said during the work session.
"Judges have things to do every day. Things come up that the clerk's can't handle."
Hale said that many of her cases are from the port of entry, such as truck drivers who are stopped with overweight loads, and they would have to be transported 45 miles to Willcox.
Julie Johnson, the port of entry's supervisor, said, "I believe that Judge Hale can calm down a situation that could escalate."
She explained that the "specialty officers" stationed at the port of entry are not allowed to transport those who have been arrested.
Johnson added that the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) transports "at least one or two per day" to the Bowie courthouse.
"It's tying up a DPS officer to do that," Hale said. "If DPS brings a person from out of state, as 99 percent of them are, it ties up an officer who is waiting while the driver is trying to get a bond posted. You can't just leave that person and go away."
Hale added that when truck drivers are arrested for matters such as overweight trucking violations, "you don't dare let them go. So the officer baby-sits these people stranded in Bowie, Arizona, where they can't get a taxi or a bus. They don't have a full slate of officers, either."
Pati Fickett, with the San Simon Valley Enhancement Group, said, "I'm not in favor of doing this at all. Every job we lose is that much harder on the economy."
Fickett added that area residents feel that they are "not getting too much return on our taxes. You already turned off the lights in the streets, and now you are talking about having a judge in our precinct maybe one day per week. Do you get the picture here?"
Ultimately, the board decided to hold public hearings before putting the matter to a vote.
Supervisor Richard Searle said he thought it was important for the county "to have a presence in Bowie. It's crucial to keep the office open to some extent."
The public is encouraged to give input to or ask questions of the county and court representatives who will be available at the hearings, said a statement issued Thursday by the Cochise County Board of Supervisors.
Persons unable to attend the public hearings may make written statements for or against the proposed consolidation to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, 1415 W. Melody Lane, Bldg. G, Bisbee, Ariz., 85603, or via e-mail to board @co.cochise.az.us no later than Friday, Feb. 24.
The first public hearing will be Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. in the San Simon Unified School Gym, 2226 W. Business I-10, in San Simon.
The second public hearing will be Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Enloe Auditorium of Bowie High School, at Fifth and Washington Streets, in Bowie.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors is considering the consolidation of Justice Precinct #6 with Justice Precinct #4 when Bowie Judge Linda Hale retires. The county is also considering retaining the three full-time clerks at the Bowie court.
Officials believe the county could save about $82,000 with the consolidation. The money could be used to provide more services in Bowie, such as expanding the public library.
The board held a work session in Bisbee on Monday, Feb. 6, which Hale and Judge Judy Bethel of Willcox attended via video conferencing, as well as representatives from the county sheriff's department and the San Simon Port of Entry.
A document distributed at the meeting shows the case filings in the Willcox and Bowie courts for 2004 and 2005.
In 2005, Willcox had a total of 4,310 cases filed; with 2,180 civil traffic, 1,092 criminal traffic, 649 misdemeanors, 258 felonies, and 131 civil matters.
The same year Bowie had a total of 5,700 cases filed; with 2,843 civil traffic, 2,384 criminal traffic, 452 misdemeanors, 23 felonies, and 18 civil matters.
The two courts combined had 10,010 cases in 2005.
County officials believe that the "vast bulk of Bowie's work involves Interstate-10 traffic, which could be done in Willcox."
The document also shows actual revenue in 2005 as $252,435 in Willcox and $475,403 in Bowie, for a total of $727,838.
The 2006 budget expenses, including a mandated salary increase in 2007 for the justice of the peace, are $243, 478 for Willcox, and $241,722 for Bowie.
The document shows a shortfall of -$8,957 for Willcox and -$233,681 for Bowie, with a total of -$242,638.
The total consolidated court cost is -$324,950, with the actual 2005 revenue of $689,753 and the budget 2006 expense of $364,803.
"Our precinct is a large one. I feel that to do away with the judge's position would be detrimental to Bowie and San Simon," Hale said during the work session.
"Judges have things to do every day. Things come up that the clerk's can't handle."
Hale said that many of her cases are from the port of entry, such as truck drivers who are stopped with overweight loads, and they would have to be transported 45 miles to Willcox.
Julie Johnson, the port of entry's supervisor, said, "I believe that Judge Hale can calm down a situation that could escalate."
She explained that the "specialty officers" stationed at the port of entry are not allowed to transport those who have been arrested.
Johnson added that the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) transports "at least one or two per day" to the Bowie courthouse.
"It's tying up a DPS officer to do that," Hale said. "If DPS brings a person from out of state, as 99 percent of them are, it ties up an officer who is waiting while the driver is trying to get a bond posted. You can't just leave that person and go away."
Hale added that when truck drivers are arrested for matters such as overweight trucking violations, "you don't dare let them go. So the officer baby-sits these people stranded in Bowie, Arizona, where they can't get a taxi or a bus. They don't have a full slate of officers, either."
Pati Fickett, with the San Simon Valley Enhancement Group, said, "I'm not in favor of doing this at all. Every job we lose is that much harder on the economy."
Fickett added that area residents feel that they are "not getting too much return on our taxes. You already turned off the lights in the streets, and now you are talking about having a judge in our precinct maybe one day per week. Do you get the picture here?"
Ultimately, the board decided to hold public hearings before putting the matter to a vote.
Supervisor Richard Searle said he thought it was important for the county "to have a presence in Bowie. It's crucial to keep the office open to some extent."
The public is encouraged to give input to or ask questions of the county and court representatives who will be available at the hearings, said a statement issued Thursday by the Cochise County Board of Supervisors.
Persons unable to attend the public hearings may make written statements for or against the proposed consolidation to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, 1415 W. Melody Lane, Bldg. G, Bisbee, Ariz., 85603, or via e-mail to board @co.cochise.az.us no later than Friday, Feb. 24.
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