Collin County Emergency Services District No. 1 heads to the November ballot

By Bakr Al Qaraghuli, Editor

July 29, 2025

EXECUTIVE BRIEF

On Monday the Collin County Commissioners Court voted to call an election for November 4, 2025, to confirm creation of “Collin County Emergency Services District No. 1” and to authorize its permanent funding stream. Voters who live inside the proposed district, which covers all unincorporated land, all consenting ETJs, and the City of New Hope itself, will decide. If the measure passes, the first tax year begins January 1, 2026, with bills issued later that year, and the district is scheduled to assume full responsibility for fire and ambulance service on October 1, 2026, per the transition timetable adopted July 28.

WHAT AN ESD IS

An emergency services district is an independent local government created under Chapter 775 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. It can levy a property tax up to ten cents per one hundred dollars of taxable value and, where room remains under the state sales-tax ceiling, an optional sales tax, in one-eighth percent (⅛-cent) increments, up to two percent, wherever the combined local sales-tax rate remains below the state ceiling. The legislature designed this model so rural communities can fund professional fire and medical response without city annexation.

WHY COLLIN COUNTY REACHED THIS POINT

For more than a decade the county paid nearby cities to handle calls in unincorporated areas. Beginning in late 2023, several cities (Melissa, McKinney, Farmersville, and Princeton, among them) notified the county that those contracts will end by October 1, 2025. With volunteer departments stretched thin, residents gathered signatures and filed an ESD petition on February 6, 2025. The court accepted the filing on February 24 and held the required public hearing yesterday.

FINAL BOUNDARIES

The court found the proposal feasible and set boundaries that include every unincorporated parcel plus the extraterritorial jurisdiction of eighteen consenting cities. Ten cities withheld consent, so their ETJs are excluded.

Included areas: the City of New Hope and the ETJs of Blue Ridge, Celina, Farmersville, Fate, Josephine, Lavon, Lowry Crossing, McKinney, Melissa, Murphy, Nevada, Parker, Princeton, Prosper, Royse City, Weston, and Wylie. Voters in the City of New Hope must also approve the district for the city to remain inside the boundaries.

Non-consenting: Allen, Anna, Fairview, Frisco, Garland, Hebron, Lucas, St. Paul, Trenton, and Van Alstyne.

Cities may later annex themselves into the district through their own elections; until then, municipal taxpayers are not subject to the levy.

FINANCES IN PLAIN NUMBERS

On a home appraised at four hundred fifty thousand dollars, the statutory cap equals four hundred fifty dollars each year. The optional sales tax would apply only in areas that are still below the statewide ceiling, so most daily purchases will see no change. The district may also bill for ambulance transports, seek grants, and accept donations.

Note: Over-65 and disability homestead exemptions are not automatically frozen for ESD taxes as they are for school districts. The ESD board may adopt a freeze by resolution under Texas Tax Code § 11.261, but this is a discretionary act, not an automatic right.

SPECIFICS FOR PRINCETON RESIDENTS

• Inside the city limits: Princeton Fire Department remains the provider, and city property is not taxed by the ESD unless the city later opts in.
• Inside the Princeton ETJ: City coverage ends on October 1, 2025. If voters create the ESD, the district will step in on October 1, 2026. The county must arrange interim protection for the gap year.
• Annexation option: Landowners in the ETJ may petition to enter the city before canvassing, but annexation would bring city tax rates and regulations.

WHAT SPEAKERS SAID AT THE JULY 28 HEARING

Supporters: Dedicated revenue ends annual budget fights and protects response times as population grows | Five-member board focuses solely on fire and EMS, not roads or courts | Voters can cap or raise the rate only through future elections.

Opponents: Property tax adds cost for households that rarely call 911 | Boundaries cross ETJs, leaving some owners feeling sidelined | Creation process moved quickly and residents want more study.

Unofficial counts of speaker cards showed about two-thirds in favor.

KEY DATES

• August 18, 2025 — Last day to finalize ballot language and file election notice (78 days before election day).
• October 20, 2025 — Early voting opens at county vote centers (first business day 17 days before the election).
• November 4, 2025 — Election Day. The measure must pass district-wide and also inside each consenting ETJ and inside New Hope to include them.
• Summer 2026 — Commissioners Court will appoint the first five ESD commissioners and adopt the initial budget and tax rate.
• October 1, 2026 — District takes charge of contracts, vehicles, and stations.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Insurance ratings climb when coverage thins, and higher ratings mean higher premiums even for owners who never place a call. A successful ESD keeps a professional engine or ambulance within realistic reach as growth pushes farther east of Princeton. A failed vote leaves fire protection to year-by-year stopgap contracts and may push landowners toward annexation or volunteer alternatives. The November decision therefore sets the trajectory for emergency readiness in rural Collin County for the next generation.

SOURCES

1. Collin County Commissioners Court order of 28 July 2025, calling the election and listing consenting cities.
2. Collin County Public Information Office timeline “Proposed Emergency Services District for Collin County,” updated 9 July 2025.
3. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 775 (funding authority).
4. Texas Election Code sections 3.005 and 85.001 (election order and early voting calendars).
5. City of Princeton press release on contract termination, May 2025.
6. NBC 5 and WFAA pre-hearing coverage, July 25–29, 2025.

Have you had personal experiences with fire, EMS, or emergency response in Princeton or Collin County? We want to hear from you. Share your stories or questions in the comments below or email me directly at bakralqq [at] gmail [dot] com (to prevent automated harvesting). Your insight helps inform our reporting and keeps leaders accountable.

Want to stay connected? Join the Princeton Journal group on Facebook for local updates, discussions, and real-time news.

Know someone who should see this? Share this article with friends, neighbors, and local groups. The more informed our community, the stronger our future.