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Resident says $3.5M EMS/fire facility is unaffordable for shrinking Ellis; commissioners defend bond funding and project options
Summary
Ellen Bridal presented a petition opposing a proposed $3.5 million EMS/fire consolidation facility, arguing the town is shrinking and repairs to water pumps, roads and existing buildings should come first; county officials said the figure was conceptual, tied to a larger bond package, and could be reduced.
Ellen Bridal, a resident of Ellis, told commissioners she opposes a proposed consolidated EMS and fire facility she described in county documents as a $3,500,000 project for a community of roughly 2,000 people. Speaking with a petition of more than 300 signatures, Bridal said the town is shrinking, that the grocery store has closed and school enrollment has fallen, and that repairing pump stations, roads and existing facilities would better serve public safety than a new large building. "I am here in opposition to the $3,500,000 EMS fire station facility that has been proposed for Ellis," she said.
County leaders responded that the figure quoted in materials was an early, conceptual estimate tied to a larger bond package that also covers courthouse and sheriff's department work. A commissioner noted that the commission had reduced earlier project estimates and that subsequent adjustments could bring the local EMS/fire building estimate down to roughly $2.5 million after removing optional elements and contingencies. Staff also said the county is not proposing a property-tax increase to fund the project and described potential consolidation or renovation options, including partnering with the City of Ellis for space.
