ESD 8 seeks to capture sales tax in Georgetown area From the cover
What you need to know
ESD 8 and the city of Georgetown have a cost- sharing agreement to finance fire and EMS services. The agreement uses a formula that takes into account the population, the square footage of buildings and the number of calls for service in both the ETJ and the city, among other factors, to determine that the ESD should pay for about 20% of the total costs for services. Sullivan said by structuring the department this way, neither entity is subsidizing the other, and neither is paying for the full cost of infrastructure and other shared resources. The population of the ESD’s jurisdiction continues to grow, approaching nearly 40,000, Sullivan said. Reflecting on the last 10 years, Sullivan said calls for service increased by 250%, and if the department had not built new stations during that time, there would have been horrible outcomes for the community in terms of loss of life and property. “This next 10 years is also critically important because the growth is continuing,” he said. To address this growth, a master plan commissioned by the department recommends hiring six additional firefighters every year for the next 10 years and opening a new station every three years during that time. However, Sullivan said the ESD is struggling to meet the financial obligations of the cost-sharing agreement, and would be unable to do so if the department moves forward with the master plan’s recommendations. Furthermore, Sullivan said response times are getting longer in the ESD due to places being spread out and farther away from a station. Sullivan said it’s not uncommon for it to take 13-15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive on scene, despite the department’s goal of 10 minutes. The way to address this, he said, is more resources.
Georgetown Fire Department and ESD 8 service area
195
Georgetown city limits
ESD 8
35
Current fire stations
Proposed fire stations 1 Hwy. 29 and the Southwest Bypass 2 Westinghouse Road and FM 1460 3 Leander Road and Parkside Parkway
29
1
29
35
3
130 TOLL
2
2243
NOTE: THE ESD AND THE CITY ALSO HAVE A SITE AT BERRY CREEK HIGHLANDS AND HWY. 195 AND ARE WORKING TO ACQUIRE LAND AT RONALD REAGAN BOULEVARD AND SUN CITY BOULEVARD FOR FUTURE STATIONS OUTSIDE THE 10-YEAR PLAN.
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SOURCE: EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NO. 8/COMMUNITY IMPACT
From January through September, 90% of the time the first unit arrived within the times below. Unit City ESD 8
“The city of Georgetown and ESD 8 have had a longstanding partnership,” Georgetown City Manager David Morgan said in a statement. “Without the sales tax revenue, ESD 8 won’t be able to meet its obligations in the contract. As ESD 8 grows, this will limit the ability to hire firefighters and add new stations to maintain service levels.”
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