Rural residents to vote on new taxes to fund emergency services
Some residents of Burnet and Llano counties will decide if they want their property taxes raised to fund firefighting and emergency medical services when they go to the polls Nov. 4.
The formation of emergency services districts Nos. 10 and 11 in Burnet County and ESD No. 6 in Llano County will be on the ballot for voters who live within the confines of each district.
Burnet County ESD No. 10
This district would provide emergency ambulance services to the Briggs/Oakalla area. Its boundaries would coincide with the existing ESD No. 8, which provides fire protection services. The area does not have immediate access to ambulance services.
The Burnet County Commissioners Court on July 22 approved a petition to put the formation of ESD No. 10 on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Burnet County ESD No. 11
This district would provide fire protection services to the Hoover Valley area of Burnet County, which is currently served by the unfunded Hoover Valley Volunteer Fire Department. The VFD is reliant on donations and fundraisers.
The Commissioners Court on Aug. 12 approved a petition to put the formation of ESD No. 11 on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Llano County ESD No. 6
This district would provide fire protection services to the Tow, Bluffton, and Buchanan Lake Village area, which is currently served by the unfunded Tow Volunteer Fire Department. The VFD is reliant on donations and fundraisers.
The Llano County Commissioners Court on Aug. 18 approved a petition to put the formation of ESD No. 6 on the Nov. 4 ballot.
What is an ESD?
An ESD is a political subdivision that generally supports, funds, and provides emergency services to a defined geographical area, or “district.”
The emergency services district functions by collecting a small tax from residents within its boundaries, then using that money to fund emergency services. This could include paying for professional firefighters, buying new equipment for an existing fire department, stationing EMTs and an ambulance in the area, or anything that boosts a local response to fire and medical emergencies.
The maximum property tax an ESD can levy is 10 cents per $100 property valuation.
ESDs are run by a board of volunteer directors appointed to their positions by the respective county commissioners court in which the ESD resides.
An ESD is put on the ballot when a petition that contains at least 100 signatures from qualified voters who own taxable real property in the proposed district is filed with a county and then approved by commissioners. The petitions for all three of the above ESDs received the required number of signatures, were filed with their respective counties, and accepted by their commissioners courts.
Read more about the formation of ESDs under Sec. 775.012 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.