In November, voters in Collin County will decide on creating and funding an emergency services district to provide fire and ambulance service in areas outside of city limits as population growth strains public safety resources in the county’s growing municipalities.
Several cities in the county decided to end their contracts providing coverage for unincorporated areas, citing a strain on maintaining service quality and the burden on residents who pay city taxes.
Several local elections take place this fall. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4 and early voting takes place from Monday, Oct. 20 to Friday, Oct. 31.
Residents petitioned the county for the creation of a dedicated emergency services district in February to ensure long-term fire and emergency medical service coverage in areas outside of cities.
The district, if approved by voters within its proposed boundaries, could be funded by a property tax of up to $0.10 per $100 valuation and a voter-approved sales and use tax of up to $0.02 in the unincorporated area, to be paid by residents within the proposed district. These districts can also receive donations and can apply for grants.
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Until the district boundaries are set, no tax can be determined, according to the county website.
Creating a separate district for coverage in unincorporated parts of the county would “provide a stable, local solution,” according to the county’s website.
Collin County has provided fire and ambulance service to unincorporated areas for decades through contracts with municipal and volunteer fire departments because the county does not have its own fire department.
The county has a budget of $2 million for these services, but state law does not require a county to provide them in unincorporated areas.
The county gives $950,000 in tax dollars to cities and volunteer fire departments for fire protection services and budgets another $1 million for ambulance services and emergency medical service response, according to its website.
In the 2025 fiscal year, county residents paid 14.9 cent tax per $100 of home valuation for core county services, including criminal justice, the medical examiner’s office, elections, county roads and bridges and the tax office. The county’s calculations determined it would need to raise taxes in order to increase funding for emergency services.
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County commissioners anticipate that the proposed emergency services district will continue to contract with cities and volunteer fire departments, and there is no plan for the proposed district to create a fire department or run its own ambulance service.
An emergency services district is a political subdivision of the state of Texas, with its own taxing authority and governance structure. It is neither a county nor a city department and receives no direct state or federal funding. Currently, there are over 350 such districts in Texas.
The Collin County Commissioners Court sets the initial tax rate for the proposed district but the district’s Board of Commissioners will set the subsequent tax rates and adopt annual budgets. County commissioners will appoint five commissioners to the proposed district’s board on staggered, two-year terms. To be appointed, an individual must own land in the district.
If approved by voters, the Collin County district’s budget and contracts would begin in October 2026.
Early voting takes place Oct. 20-31 and Election Day is Nov. 4.