The Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 board of commissioners proposed a fiscal year 2026-27 property tax rate of $0.045 per $100 of valuation during the Aug. 27 regular meeting in a 3-2 vote with Commissioners Rob Paiva and Jaime Martinez opposed.
Harris County ESD 9 serves as a political subdivision and taxing entity that supports fire suppression and emergency medical service operations for Cy-Fair Fire Department.
The overview
Prior to its planned adoption date of Sept. 24, the commissioners have the ability to lower the proposed rate, but are unable to increase it, General Counsel David Manley said.
According to a tax rate notice, the district’s no-new-revenue tax rate sits at $0.038548 per $100 of valuation, which would generate the same amount of taxes as the previous fiscal year when comparing properties taxed in both years. Manley said these calculation do not consider new construction.
Assistant Chief of Administration Mike Clements said the district’s FY 2026-27 operations budget, is projected to see $109.6 million in revenue and $117.8 million in expenditures, resulting in a $8.1 million projected shortfall.
Clements attributed the projected shortfall to additional personnel in the FY 2026-27 budget needed for the two upcoming fire stations – totaling 49 new full-time employees overall.
The discussion
Martinez suggested lowering a proposed employee compensation increase in an attempt to offset the shortfall in order to avoid using cash reserves or raising the property tax rate above the no new revenue rate. Clements said the budgeted 4.2% compensation increase reflects a rolling 5-year Social Security Cost-of-Living-Adjustment average.
Commissioner Cameron Dickey said he would prefer a more “blended approach” where they bring down some of the reserves, and recognize that the growth in the community has increased operating expenses of the district, and proposing the no new revenue rate would take that ability away.
“You can't grow, add more locations and add more employees without adding more expense,” Dickey said.
Commissioner Bevin Gordon said the district would have to draw down its cash reserves with any tax rate they chose below the voter-approval rate. Clements said the district’s reserve fund has been built up over the years for the district's planned growth.
“We have to accept the fact that we are gonna be coming into those cash reserves,” Fire Chief Amy Ramon said. “We’ve been dinged for having cash reserves and we’ve been dinged for using cash reserves ... It’s been a really double-edged sword for us."
Clements said he plans for demographers to join one of the two scheduled budget workshops to provide insight towards the district's demographic projections in relation to growth and budgeting decisions ahead of the planned Sept. 24 adoption.
In other news
Fire Chief Amy Ramon was named Career Fire Chief of the Year by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and a celebration and recognition was held during the Aug. 27 meeting.
Per a news release, Ramon was nominated by the Harris County ESD 9 board of commissioners alongside letters of support from CFFD leadership, the Cy-Fair Professional Firefighters Association, and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
“The reason I am here today is because the people who invested in me coming along the way,” Ramon said. “It was the time people took out of their day, out of their family’s time to spend it on me, to develop me, so then I could then be here today.”
Looking ahead
Various meetings and workshops are planned ahead of adopting the budget and tax rate including:
- Budget workshop: Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m.
- Budget workshop: Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m.
- Regular meeting: Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.
The board of commissioners are slated to meet for a budget workshop Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the District Administration Building located at 10710 Telge Road, Cypress.
