San Marcos council directs staff to hire EMS chief as city prepares to assume services; union seeks protections

San Marcos City Council on April 7 heard a detailed staff briefing and public testimony about converting local emergency medical services to a stand-alone, city-operated department and gave staff direction to proceed with hiring an EMS chief and to explore voluntary consultation arrangements with employee representatives.

City Manager Steph Reyes told the council staff had conducted a multi-year evaluation and recommended a measured approach that builds on a 4.85¢ tax increase already approved for planning. "Our goal has been to balance reliability, service levels, and fiscal responsibility," Reyes said, asking council for direction on moving forward with recruitment for an EMS chief.

Union and field staff urged caution and protections. "We are still here today without answers to some of the core questions regarding pay, benefits, qualifications, and working conditions," Zach Phillips, president of the Hays County EMS Association, told the council, urging the body to delay a final decision until financial details and worker protections are clarified. Phillips later added, "Projections are not. You don't buy a house and then ask how much after you sign the paperwork." The city committed to including a union representative on the chief hiring stakeholder panel.

Several paramedics and former city staff who spoke during the…