Odessa council approves one-year emergency-service contracts, adopts tax rate and OKs park funding; youth detention annexation tabled

The Odessa City Council on Sept. 23 approved one-year interlocal agreements with Ector County Emergency Service Districts (ESD) No. 1 and No. 2 to have Odessa Fire Rescue provide emergency response in those districts, adopted a property tax rate of $0.4707 per $100 valuation after a legal clarification and reconsideration, and approved several budget and zoning items while tabling an annexation and specific-use permit connected to a proposed youth detention center.

The interlocal agreements with ESD No. 1 and ESD No. 2 take effect Oct. 1 and require the districts to pay the city $250,000 per quarter — $1,000,000 per year — for fire and rescue services. Keith Strecker, the city attorney, told council the contracts were written for a one-year term “so we have a year to work on it,” and he cited Odessa Fire Department activity in 2024 as context, saying the department made “21,796 total runs for service in the calendar year 2024” and “4,789 runs for service in the boundaries of the district,” roughly 21 percent of the total.

The council adopted the tax rate after a two-step process. Kaylee (staff name in packet) presented the required second reading of the tax ordinance and finance staff explained how interest allocation and enterprise fund restrictions limit use of some revenues. During a legal clarification after the regular meeting, City Attorney Strecker read a precise motion form and a percentage increase; the final, recorded outcome exceeded the supermajority threshold needed under state law. Strecker summarized the financial effect on a $100,000 home as an increase of about $5.31 per year for maintenance and operations under the adopted rate.

Council also approved $700,000 in transfers within the parks budget to a project account for planned improvements at McKinney Park.…