Collin County accepts petition to form Emergency Services District, sets July public hearing

Collin County commissioners on a unanimous vote accepted a petition to form Collin County Emergency Services District No. 1 and set a public hearing for July 21 to finalize district boundaries and election arrangements.

The petition was verified as containing at least 100 signatures from owners of taxable property in the proposed district, County Administrator Yoon Kim told the court. The court also adopted a statement of shared principles about how an eventual ESD should operate; both resolutions passed 5-0.

Why it matters: The ESD proposal would fund and govern fire and emergency medical services in unincorporated Collin County. County officials warned that municipal choices to exclude extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJs) from the district could leave some areas without guaranteed fire or EMS coverage unless other arrangements are reached.

Residents urged action and faster interim funding. Joanne Graham, who helped collect signatures for the petition, told the court the ESD is meant to “assure the provision of fire and emergency services to unincorporated … areas” and said, “Don’t let people die waiting for help.” Brandon Stacks, a 19-year fire-service veteran who lives in the proposed district, said current response models are “unsustainable” and asked the court to ensure the appointed ESD board would be “good stewards of our tax dollars.”

County Administrator Yoon Kim summarized the procedural steps the court took: the county judge filed the petition after county staff verified signatures; the county clerk received the filing; and the elections administrator confirmed sufficient qualifying signatures. Kim said staff found more than 100 property owners and about 318 qualified voters in the proposed area. He said the public hearing will take testimony for and against formation and that the court will determine feasibility before setting an election.

Officials outlined timing and options for residents and cities. Under the process described by staff, cities will receive written notice and have 60 days to decide whether to include their ETJs in the ESD; if a city declines, that ETJ would be carved out of the district before the final election. Kim told the court the Elections Code deadline to place the measure on the November ballot is August 18, and he recommended a July 21 public hearing to allow time for city responses and for any individual ETJ opt-outs. The court and staff also referenced a 45-day mechanism in the Government Code and recent state legislation (identified in discussion as Senate Bill 2038) that allows a property owner to pursue removal from an ETJ; if the city does not act on a properly filed opt-out petition, that process runs 45 days by default.

Commissioners emphasized interim coverage and county limits. The court adopted a shared-principles resolution that, among other points, urges the ESD to minimize administrative costs, support existing contracts between cities and municipal utility districts (MUDs), avoid double taxation for MUD customers, and maintain county commitment to partner municipal and volunteer departments to provide fire and emergency services during the interval before an ESD begins operations. The court and staff repeatedly noted Collin County does not operate its own county fire department and that current rural fire coverage is provided through partnerships with municipalities; if municipalities stop partnering, the county stressed it cannot automatically stand up a county-run fire department without funding and partners.

Officials also urged outreach. Kim said the county will post a dedicated webpage with frequently asked questions and plans to update the court regularly on which cities have opted in or out. The judge noted property values and tax-rate changes over recent years and emphasized the complexity of property-tax calculations when citizens ask why county revenue may not have increased in step with home values.

Votes at a glance: The court voted 5-0 to accept the petition and to adopt the statement of shared principles.

Next steps: Notices to cities will go out this week, staff will publish the informational website, and the court set a public hearing for July 21 to finalize boundaries and determine whether the district is feasible and should proceed to election.