The Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9 board of commissioners is expected to workshop the budget for fiscal year 2026 and adopt an ad valorem tax rate during two public meetings Sept. 25. Here’s what to expect.

At a glance

The board will discuss the proposed 2026 budget ahead of the next budget year, which begins Jan. 1. The first workshop was held Aug. 7, and the board is expected to adopt the budget in October.

The board will also conduct a public hearing Sept. 25 on the proposed tax rate of $0.0388 per $100 valuation—the no-new-revenue rate—which was set Aug. 28 during a regular board meeting. The board may not adopt anything higher than the proposed rate per Texas law, but it may set a lower tax rate.

Commissioners are expected to vote to adopt a tax rate for FY 2026 at the September meeting following public feedback and board discussion.


Also on the agenda

ESD 9 commissioners will discuss issuing a request for qualifications for a district attorney after Commissioner and newly elected board President Naressa MacKinnon expressed interest in interviewing other options for counsel. The current district attorney is Gus Knebel from Mills Shirley, who took over legal responsibilities in April after the board terminated its long-term counsel, Community Impact previously reported.

MacKinnon said during the Aug. 28 meeting that the board did not properly interview candidates before switching to Mills Shirley. Commissioner Bevin Gordon said it’s standard practice for the board to interview attorneys before selecting counsel, a process that did not occur in April.

MacKinnon encouraged Knebel to interview as part of the search.


More details

Other agenda items of note include:
  • Discuss and take action on issuing a request for architectural qualifications to design a new training facility.
  • Discuss and take action on issuing a request for architectural qualifications to remodel the district’s dispatch center.
  • Discuss and take action regarding a human resources audit for the district, which Commissioner Jaime Martinez requested be placed on the Sept. 25 agenda.
The board will also meet in closed session to discuss pending litigation. Last month, several community members made comments about potential workplace-related lawsuits involving the Cy-Fair Fire Department, but details on the litigation are not public as of press time.

The budget workshop will begin at 5 p.m., and the regular board meeting, including the tax hearing, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Both meetings will be held at the ESD 9 administration building at 10710 Telge Road, Houston.