Hays County ESD 9 to hold election to raise funds for EMS

HAYS COUNTY — As the area has experienced significant population growth over the past decade, the Board of Commissioners of Hays County Emergency Services District No. 9 has called for a proposition to be placed on the ballot for the May 4 election.

An Emergency Services District (ESD) is a local government created by voters in an area to provide fire protection, emergency medical services or both. HCESD No. 9 is the government entity that collects property taxes to provide funding for emergency medical services to the residents within the district boundaries, including Kyle, Mountain City, Niederwald, Uhland and outlying parts of San Marcos.

If approved by voters, the proposition would authorize the district to raise the ad valorem tax rate cap to the state maximum ad valorem of $0.10 per $100 valuation, subject to the state laws related to increasing tax rate. This would raise the maximum property tax rate for the district to levy from $0.06 per $100 valuation.

“When you talk to people who don't really know how EMS and fire get funded, they ask for EMS specifically like ‘How much of my property taxes is going to this level of service?’ meaning ‘When I call 911 [and] someone shows up within 10 to 15 minutes, ideally less than 10, how much of my property taxes are going to that?’ And it's really six cents of every $100,” said Tom Maia of the Hays County EMS Association. “They're like, ‘Really?’ Our response times, especially in Kyle and San Marcos, are pretty solid. You’ve got rural areas of the county that are far away from any nearby EMS or fire unit, like out in Niederwald. But for the most part, we do a really good job and so, people are surprised to hear that such a tiny little percentage of their property taxes goes towards EMS to get the service that they get.”

There will not be an increase to the currently set property tax rate as part of the May 4 election, according to Maia.

Raising the ad valorem cap does not immediately raise the property tax rate. The district would need to ask voters in a subsequent election for the authorization to increase the levied property tax rate if the increase will contribute to more than an additional $500,000 in total revenue from ad valorem taxes and result in more than an additional 3.5% in revenue from existing ad valorem tax sources from the previous year, according to the district’s website, www.esd9.net.

“If this proposition passed, then it would go to a November ballot, which would then potentially raise the actual rates or raise the amount of money from property taxes devoted to EMS specifically,” Maia said.

HCESD No. 9 has called for the election in order for more funding and resources to be devoted to EMS, especially because the district has experienced a high volume of 911 calls due to population growth.

“Anyone who lives in Hays County knows that growth has exploded in the 21st century, I think something like 400%. Back in 2008, the population of Kyle, Texas, alone was maybe 20,000 and as we are in 2024, moving into 2025, we're probably going to reach 70,000 people in the city of Kyle alone. The trends are going up for every part of the county, no matter where you look. San Marcos itself is growing, so if you're talking about those areas of San Marcos that are just outside city limits, those parts are growing really fast. Mountain City, Uhland, Niederwald, the county as a whole is expanding rapidly,” Maia explained.

“When you get more people, that means you get more people calling 911, that means you get more people experiencing traffic accidents [and] medical emergencies,” he continued. “Considering that two thirds of 911 calls are for medical aid, it means that we need to have a system that can keep up with those rising call volumes.”

There are four major issues facing HCESD No. 9 which require additional funding beyond the current budget capabilities, according to the district’s website:

• Station location relative to population density

• Population growth and increased call volume within the service area

• Limited number of ambulances, relating to:

• Number of active calls able to be covered without activating neighboring aid

Voters will need to look for the following language if they wish to cast their vote for the proposition: “Authorizing an increase in the maximum ad valorem tax rate that Hays County Emergency Services District No. 9 may impose on property within the District to a rate not to exceed ten cents ($0.10) per one hundred dollars ($100) valuation.”

Election information can be found at www.hayscountytx.com/departments/elections. For more details on HCESD No. 9, visit www.esd9.net.