With all Bastrop County polling locations reporting 100% of the votes, the creation of Emergency Services District No. 3 will move forward with plans to nearly triple the number of EMS units in most areas of the county.
Bastrop County First Responder volunteer Preston McGrew, one of the three people who spearheaded the campaign for ESD No. 3, said the process to begin implementing the initiative should take between 12-18 months.
Posted 9:32 p.m. Nov. 5
Bastrop County voters are weighing in on the option to establish Emergency Services District No. 3.
Early voting results are in and indicate the city of Bastrop and its Extraterritorial Jurisdiction, as well as unincorporated areas in the county, are in favor of ESD No. 3.
In a nutshell
ESD No. 3 aims to nearly triple the number of EMS units in all areas of the county except for the city of Elgin and its ETJ. Elgin city officials opted not to allow its residents to vote on or participate in it during an August council meeting.
At the polls
Throughout the summer, Bastrop County First Responders volunteers Preston McGrew, Caleb Peck and Paul Hightower, presented their case for ESD No. 3 at City Council meetings, citing a pattern with the current contracted EMS services from Acadian of long response times across the county.
“We frequently see it go to level zero, which means there are no ambulances available anywhere in the county, and wait times between 45 minutes to an hour,” McGrew told Community Impact in a previous interview. "This just isn’t sustainable as a long-term solution, especially with the population growth we are seeing in Bastrop County."
The cost
If approved, ESD No. 3 will be funded through property taxes at $0.10 per $100 of a property’s valuation—the same amount used for other ESDs in the county. This would equate to an increase of $200 per year in property taxes on a home with an assessed value of $200,000.
Breaking it down
McGrew said some of their goals with ESD No. 3 include:
- Building nine stations strategically placed throughout the county to facilitate a maximum 15-minute response time for any call
- Staffing 10 ambulances, with room to accommodate more as the county grows
- Creating 85 “good-paying jobs” to run ESD No. 3
- Working with county officials to employ 911 dispatchers who are trained and able to assist with triage and cardiopulmonary resuscitation over the phone
According to Bastrop County Elections officials, 65.05% of registered voters cast their ballots in the Nov. 5 elections.
Polls closed at 7 p.m., although those who were in line at 7 p.m. were still able to vote.
All results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit bit.ly/Bastrop2024 to see results from all local Bastrop-area elections.
