Washington County commissioners approve ballot election for Emergency Services District No. 1 after heated public hearing

The Washington County Commissioner's Court voted 3-2 on Tuesday to create Washington County Emergency Services District No. 1 and call an election under Chapter 775 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, sending the request to voters in the affected area.

The public hearing that preceded the vote drew more than a dozen speakers representing residents, volunteer firefighters and others from the Chapel Hill and Myersville areas. Supporters said an ESD would provide a stable revenue source for aging apparatus, protective gear and increased call volume; opponents said a new property tax would be permanent and unfair to residents already paying county taxes.

The vote came after extended testimony. Chris Casada, fire chief of Washington Volunteer Fire Department, said volunteer departments have relied on fundraising and sporadic county support and cannot reliably plan for replacement apparatus. "We will not see this engine completed until 2026, 10 years from beginning this process," Casada said, describing a multi-year delay and rising costs: what began as a $125,000 estimate for an engine upfit now approaches $425,000. He said fundraisers cannot…