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Fire chiefs and ESD leaders tell Hays County court CECC fees would strain limited district budgets
Summary
Hays County ESD leaders warned commissioners that proposed Combined Emergency Communication Center (CECC) fees could force ESDs to delay firefighter hires and cut operations because ESD tax rates are capped; they asked the county to consider covering the county portion of dispatch costs or meet with ESDs to find alternatives.
Representatives from Hays County Emergency Services Districts urged the commissioners to reconsider proposed CECC fee assessments that would be passed to ESDs and other local partners.
Freddie Rolland, speaking on behalf of CAL FIRE interests and the Hays County Fire Chief Association, described increasing operational costs — payroll, insurance, pensions, and equipment — and said the county's growing call volume (about 7,200 calls last year, projected near 8,000 this year) makes adding a new fee layer especially harmful. "Adding that extra layer of cost to our budget heavily impact how we can move forward and how we can keep up with the needs of our community," Rolland said, and asked the judge and commissioners for a meeting with ESD partners to discuss solutions.
Susan Mekel of Hays County ESD No. 5 explained ESDs face statutory tax limits: they can levy taxes only up to 10¢ per $100 valuation and are further constrained by a 3.5% rate increase cap. Mekel said an initial CECC request equated to a $1,500,000 total ask and that ESDs lack authority to raise enough revenue to absorb the fee without cutting operations. She proposed two short‑term solutions: the county could continue to cover the dispatch expense (an estimated 1¢ of the county tax rate would cover the CECC request), or the county and ESDs convene to identify an alternative funding and cost‑sharing model.
The court acknowledged the constraints and committed staff to meet with ESD leaders. "So what I see, even we try to be very fiscally responsible... we don't have the ability to raise any additional funds," Mekel told the court. Commissioners asked the county comptroller and budget staff to follow up and Candice Butte (County Administrator) indicated willingness to help coordinate a meeting with affected agencies.
