Collin County commissioners call November election to create Emergency Services District No. 1

Collin County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted 5–0 to set the boundaries and call a Nov. 4 election to ask voters to confirm creation of Collin County Emergency Services District No. 1.

County Administrator Yoon Kim opened the court’s public hearing by saying the county had received a petition on Feb. 6 and, after accepting it in open court on Feb. 24, gave notice to cities whose extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJs) had been included. Kim said the petition proposed a district that would cover the county’s unincorporated area and city ETJs that consented to inclusion; several cities declined to consent. The commissioners’ immediate actions were to hold the public hearing, set the district boundaries based on ETJ consents, determine whether the proposed district would promote public safety, welfare and health as required by state law (Health and Safety Code §775.016), and call the election with ballot language.

The court heard more than two hours of public comment, including multiple statements from local fire leaders. Stuart Blassingame, identified as president of the Collin County Fire Chiefs Association, read a statement of principles that called for contracted fire and EMS services (not a county-run fire department), a five-member board appointed by commissioners, and steps to avoid “double taxation” for residents of municipal utility districts (MUDs).

Several residents and elected officials urged the court to avoid a coverage gap between when cities said they would stop providing contracted services and when an elected ESD board could begin operations. Commissioners repeatedly told the public…