Mohave County

The seal of Mohave County

Cash-strapped Mohave County has to come up with millions to pay for road maintenance and more sheriff’s deputies, and officials say they have to do it soon.

Mohave County owes about $20 million to the public-safety retirement system, Supervisor Steven Moss said. Plus, the Sheriff’s Office is “dramatically” understaffed. The agency needs to hire 30 deputies, which would cost roughly $3 million. Attrition caused the shortage, and investments made on training new deputies disappear after a few years because many leave for better paying jobs.

“We’re like a dog chasing our tail,” Moss said. “We get other deputies out of the academy. But then we lose 10 or 12 from the senior deputies.” 

Adding to the county’s financial concerns are the condition of its roads, Moss said. There hasn’t been enough money to properly maintain them since 2007, and the county needs about $20 million just to catch up. Officials also have to find a way to increase the annual maintenance budget from roughly $12 million to about $17 million.

“We’ve been hoping that things will improve and some miracle will fall from the sky,” Moss said. “That the Legislature will give us more money. It never seems to really materialize.”

Officials will schedule a workshop in the coming weeks to brainstorm ideas. Action has to be taken this year because the problems will only get worse, Moss said.

“If government cannot provide basic services, what’s the point of government?” Moss said. “And we need to correct this situation because we’re letting down our residents. We’re letting down our taxpayers.”