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Caddo Mills officials discuss Emergency Services District as funding option for volunteer fire department
Summary
Caddo Mills officials and emergency-services experts briefed the Hunt County Commissioners Court on creating an Emergency Services District (ESD) to stabilize funding for the Caddo Mills Volunteer Fire Department, which now responds to many calls outside the city limits.
Caddo Mills leaders told the Hunt County Commissioners Court they are exploring creation of an Emergency Services District to shore up funding for the town’s volunteer fire department.
Joel Richardson, assistant city manager of Caddo Mills, told commissioners, “They’re 1 of the best in the state. They’re currently working a service area that’s 1 of the largest in the area, and, 60% of their calls are outside the city limits.” Richardson said the current funding mix — primarily city dollars, modest county contributions and a small hospital-district match — is unsustainable for the level of service the department provides.
The discussion focused on how an ESD would be formed, governed and financed. Clay Avery, executive director of Safety, the State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts, said an ESD begins with citizen petition and a county election: “ESDs are created by the citizens by a petition, brought to y’all, the county government, county commissioner’s court.” Avery described the typical governance model — a locally appointed board that sets a tax rate (capped by the state constitution) and adopts an annual budget — and noted legal safeguards including audits and open-meeting requirements.
Avery explained the revenue cap and how property taxes would work if voters approve an ESD. “They are capped by the state constitution, at 10¢ per hundred dollars evaluation in terms of raw dollars,” he said, and added that boards can choose lower rates and must follow state truth-in-taxation rules. Commissioners and city representatives discussed timelines for a potential November ballot and the need for accurate petition signatures and public hearings if the community pursues creation.
County and city officials also discussed operational questions about how an ESD would interact with the existing volunteer fire department and the city. Avery said ESDs commonly contract with local departments to provide service and that the departments can remain independent: “They would sit down with whoever’s operating the fire department” and negotiate a contract for service. Caddo Mills officials said they would prefer not to curtail responses outside city limits, and that an ESD could support additional stations, equipment or staffing to reduce response times.
Commissioners asked about insurance and response-class impacts. Avery said ESD-driven investments can improve ISO/public protection classifications — a factor insurers use — but results vary depending on water supply, staffing and equipment.
Next steps discussed included finalizing district boundaries, municipal consents for any ETJ inclusion, and establishing petition and election timelines. Commissioners and Caddo Mills staff agreed to continue planning; no formal vote to create an ESD was taken at the meeting.
Ending
Caddo Mills officials said they want more time to finalize maps and municipal permissions and aim to meet county election deadlines if the petitioners decide to pursue a November ballot. Commissioners asked staff to provide timeline options and legal counsel input before bringing any petition to the court.
