The Sunsites/Pearce Fire District announced on Mar. 23 that it is seeking three community members to join its governing board after recent resignations left the district without a quorum.
Restoring the board’s quorum is necessary for the district to resume official business and maintain oversight of fire protection and emergency response services. The district encourages residents who live within its boundaries and are interested in public service to apply for one of the three open positions.
Board members are responsible for adopting budgets, overseeing finances, setting policy, and ensuring effective delivery of fire and emergency services under Arizona Revised Statutes Title 48. They serve as part of a publicly elected body, must comply with Arizona’s Open Meeting Law, attend meetings regularly, and make decisions in the best interest of residents.
According to A.R.S. § 48-803, vacancies on a fire district governing board are usually filled by remaining board members. However, when there is no quorum as in this case, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors can appoint qualified individuals to restore a functioning board.
No prior elected experience is required for candidates; however, applicants should be ready to participate in financial oversight and collaborate with staff and fellow board members. Interested residents should send a letter of interest by April 3 to board@cochise.az.gov or call 520-432-9200 with questions.
While the fire district works on restoring its governance structure, Cochise County faces broader challenges related to education performance. In recent years, only about 28.5% of students in grades three through eight passed the mathematics section of the AASA during the 2023-24 school year according to data from the Arizona Department of Education. Similarly, just 27% of high schoolers passed mathematics on the ACT during that period according to state education reports. Previous results show that more than two-thirds failed both math and English sections across grade levels as reported by state education officials.
