Tombstone’s mayor would love to move the town Marshal’s Office from its home of nearly a century, a move the marshal himself opposes.
The move hinges on the town receiving a federal grant based on the residents average household income. If at least 51 percent of the town’s residents fall below a certain income threshold, the city will receive the money; if it’s above the threshold, they won’t receive the grant.
The results are still being tabulated.
If everything falls into place, Mayor Stephen Schmidt said the office will move and the grant money will be used to add a new evidence room, paved parking lot, impoundment yard and more than one holding cell at the new location.
The current office has a single holding cell “and it’s not very up to date,” said Schmidt, who also mentioned domestic violence suspects have been an issue.
“It’s kind of hard to put two people that were fighting in the same room,” he said.
Mitchell agreed space at the present location is limited, and the office does have some problems that could be fixed with modernization.
“We’re working with him on that,” Mitchell said. “But he’ll win because he’s the mayor.”
“It’s something that’s been talked about for 10 years or so and nothing has ever happened,” Schmidt said.