La Paz County supervisors approve rezones, inmate-ID contract, Opportunity Zone pick

A Quartzsite-area census tract is now La Paz County’s preferred Opportunity Zone 2 pick, and supervisors also moved two parcels forward for new land use at the same May 4 meeting.

One approval covered APN 304-68-001D in Section 19, Township 5N, Range 13W of the Gila and Salt River Meridians. Supervisors signed off on Docket Z2026-05, changing the parcel from C-2 to RA-10 for future residential use by Shawna Norton. The board also approved a compliance rezone for an existing storage site, a move meant to bring the property’s zoning into line with what is already on the ground. The La Paz County Planning & Zoning Commission had unanimously recommended that change before it reached the board.

The board did not approve every land-use request in front of it. Supervisors denied a separate rezone after neighbor opposition, a reminder that local objections still carry weight when county leaders decide what fits next to homes, storage yards and commercial strips. The action also fits into a busy spring zoning calendar, with county public notices listing a May 7 Planning & Zoning agenda and a May 14 Board of Adjustment agenda.

Beyond zoning, supervisors approved the Bi2 Technologies End User License, Annual Maintenance and Technical Support Agreement for IRIS and MORIS inmate-recognition systems. The agreement gives La Paz County access to identification software, hardware and support tied to jail operations, a practical tool for booking, recordkeeping and confirming who is in custody.

The Opportunity Zone recommendation carries its own long tail. By backing the Courtside, or Quartzsite-area, census tract as its state nomination, the county is positioning that rural corridor for future tax-advantaged investment if it is selected in the next round. Arizona Commerce says the renewed Opportunity Zone program was made permanent in 2025, with new designations expected to be nominated in mid-2026 and to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. HUD says the updated program runs through 2036, and federal guidance says the incentive is aimed at distressed census tracts where private capital can be steered into development through qualified opportunity funds.

Taken together, the votes show a county balancing growth pressure, neighborhood pushback and operational needs. La Paz County’s Community Development Department says it oversees planning and zoning in the unincorporated areas, and the county adopted its 2035 Comprehensive Plan on Aug. 18, 2025, setting the framework for how these parcels and incentives may shape the next phase of development.