Commissioners discuss proposed Emergency Service District for Preston Peninsula and urge voters to get facts

Commissioners discussed a proposed Emergency Service District (ESD) that would cover the Preston Peninsula and told residents to gather facts ahead of a petition election.

"It's been an eventful week, weekend. There's the first proposed ESD for Grayson County in the Preston Peninsula," Commissioner Hardenberg said, urging neighbors to research the proposal and make an informed decision.

Mister Rogers, a commissioner who spoke during court comments, said the ESD proposal has drawn intense local debate and noted that an ESD proposal can be presented to voters only in certain cycles: "This is something that come on the books every 2 years. So if this 1 wasn't on this election, if this 1 fails, it's 2 years before it can be presented again," he said.

The County Judge told the court that the commissioners approved sending the proposal to an election; he framed the possible ESD as one method to generate dedicated funding for paid fire and emergency medical services in unincorporated areas. "Currently the county spends $2,900,000 to supplement, fired EMS for the unincorporated areas of the county," the Judge said, noting the county's existing supplements to municipal and volunteer providers and warning that volunteerism is declining nationally.

Court speakers emphasized that the county is not statutorily required to provide fire and EMS for unincorporated areas and that formation of an ESD would be decided by voters in the affected area. Commissioners said they would continue to provide factual information to the public and urged civility in community discussion.

No formal action to create an ESD was taken at the meeting; the court's role at this stage was to acknowledge the petition/election process and encourage public engagement and fact-finding by residents in the affected area.