If you haven’t heard about the effort to build a new jail in Cochise County, you are about to.
Jane Montgomery, public information officer for the county, is ramping up a campaign to inform people on the mail-only ballot referendum to create a separate jail district that would fund the construction of the jail.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors would serve as the elected representatives for the special taxing district. Our three supervisors approved having a special election — scheduled for May 16 — to determine whether local voters want to create the district.
Every registered voter in the county will be mailed a ballot beginning on April 19 to decide whether to approve the district and its one-half cent sales tax. The revenue generated by the new tax would pay for the construction of a new jail.
There are lots of questions.
That’s why a team of county officials, including Sheriff Mark Dannels, County Administrator Richard Karwaczka and others will host a series of public town hall meetings for residents to get answers. These are planned in Sierra Vista, Douglas, Willcox, Benson, Bisbee and Palominas.
In the coming weeks, make an effort to get informed on what’s at stake. This newspaper — and it’s media “arms’ — are committed to presenting unbiased, facts-only information on the current jail, why county officials believe there is an urgent need to replace the existing facility and other important issues.
Understand, the question on the May 16 ballot is only whether to create a special taxing district. All the other decisions – where the jail would be built, what services the jail would provide, how much the project would cost, and other relevant questions – would be decided by our county supervisors, serving in their role as the elected representatives of the jail district.
Watch for the notices of when a town hall meeting is planned in your area and make an effort to come out and learn more and get your questions answered.
This is one of the most important decisions Cochise County voters will make in our collective history.
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Apparently there is more to life than work in France.
“More than 1 million people took to the streets and workers across France went on strike Thursday to protest the government’s plan to raise the country’s retirement age, kicking off what is expected to be a protracted battle between unions and President Emmanuel Macron,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
The French government is proposing an increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64, beginning in 2030, arguing that the change is the only way to preserve the state’s pension system.
Similar debates are playing out across Europe as populations age and people live longer, putting growing pressure on government finances. France has one of the lowest poverty rates among the elderly in Europe, but it spent 13.8% of its gross domestic product on pensions in 2021—more than most other European countries.
Other countries in Europe have older retirement ages. People in the United Kingdom retire at 66; in Italy, it’s 67.
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Universal Studios Hollywood will open the first video game entertainment “land,” on Feb. 17 when visitors flock to Super Nintendo World. Guests are invited to play in four games, promoting physical activity, and enjoy a thrill ride.
The park attraction has been modeled exactly like the landscape of the video game, which makes it completely unique in the world of theme parks.
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