Court hears update on proposed Hunt County Emergency Service District No. 1; election delayed to 2026

Hunt County staff informed the Commissioner's Court on Aug. 18 that a petition to create Hunt County Emergency Service District No. 1 cannot be placed on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot because key statutory deadlines and city approvals cannot be met. Staff said the earliest practicable election date is November 2026 and outlined the remaining steps petitioners and the county must complete before the court can call an election.

Daniel, a county staff member presenting the item, told the court: “To be real upfront, we're not gonna be able to take any action on this...this election's gonna have to happen in November 2026.” He said petition organizers submitted an initial petition that lacked a meets-and-bounds map; the organizers later provided a revised petition with a meets-and-bounds description roughly matching the current Caddo Mills Volunteer Fire Department limits and with “probably double the amount of names that were necessary,” where 100 valid names are required.

Daniel explained the remaining statutory steps the county plays in: confirm the petition meets filing requirements; file the original in the county clerk's office; and, after petitioners obtain certified copies and secure written permissions from cities with extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), the court must set and publish a public hearing with at least three weeks' notice, hold the hearing, consider testimony and evidence, and decide whether to call an election. He identified the cities whose ETJ permissions are necessary as Greenville, Caddo Mills, Royce City and Josephine and said those city permissions are valid for only six months and must be timed to the election schedule.

Daniel said petitioners had provided the signatures and that staff has checked the petition for validity, but the timing of city approvals and public-hearing notice prevents the county from meeting the election-order deadline for Nov. 2025. He said county staff will meet with the petition organizers after the county finishes budget season to coordinate timelines needed to satisfy the statute and city requirements.

The court took no formal action on the ESD petition during the session. Daniel described the county's subsequent involvement if an election is called: the county would appoint ESD board members if the public votes to approve creation, and county staff would handle the hearing, publication and election machinery required under state law (Texas Health and Safety Code 775.018).

No public hearing or testimony on the ESD was heard during this meeting; staff framed the discussion as an update on process and timing.