With 106 square miles of service area, the department—also known as the Fort Bend County Emergency Services District No. 4—will add dozens of staff and construct multiple facilities over the next few years, including in downtown Fulshear and Jordan Ranch, ESD No. 4 board President Ed Krenek said.
To fund future department growth, ESD No. 4’s proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot seeks to allow it to collect a 2% sales and use tax. Krenek said he believes this additional revenue source could help reduce the district’s property tax rate, lower insurance costs and improve emergency medical services in the area.
“In a hypergrowth area like we’re faced with now, it’s incredible to have that little additional revenue so we can place those facilities where they’re needed,” he said.
If approved, the funding will also bolster training, FSFD Chief Gilbert “Herc” Meier said.
“The budget on training needs to go up,” he said. “They need more training—and when I say training, ... I’m talking about the school of repetition.”
What's happening
ESD No. 4’s service area is in “hypergrowth,” Krenek said, seeing more than a 20% population growth year over year.
This growth is anticipated to continue with 14,695 new housing units projected to join ESD No. 4’s boundaries between 2025-30, according to a 2021 report from demographics firm Population and Survey Analysts. If each unit has three occupants, this equates to a growth of about 44,000 residents, district officials said.
The district’s budget, funded through property tax revenue, has supported a new $6.7 million station in Cross Creek Ranch that opened Oct. 9. The district also plans to break ground on three new stations—in downtown Fulshear, the Jordan Ranch community and the Lakes of Bella Terra—in the next few years, Krenek said.
The district collected $16.75 million in revenue in 2023, and officials estimate it will collect $18.19 million in revenue for the ongoing 2024 fiscal year, according to financial audits and district information.
The state of Texas collects a 6.25% sales tax on every dollar spent on goods and some services, and entities have the ability to collect up to an additional 2% tax, with the total not to exceed 8.25% in any area, said Kevin Lyons, spokesperson for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
The “yes” vote on the ESD’s Proposition A would prevent other future governmental entities from seeking those funds in the future, Lyons and ESD officials said.
“We think, from what we estimate at this point in time, if the sales tax is approved, we’ll have enough to keep up with the growth and still provide a little bit of a [property] tax relief,” Krenek said.
ESD No. 4 officials said an estimate on how much sales tax revenue the department may receive isn’t available. The details
Krenek said the passage of Senate Bill 2 in 2019 limited governmental entities’ ability to increase property tax rates without a tax rate election, putting pressure on rapid-growth districts.
In May, Cinco Ranch-area voters approved a similar sales tax proposition from the neighboring Willowfork Fire Department, also known as Fort Bend County ESD No. 2. The WFD expects to collect $1.5 million annually in sales tax, WFD Assistant Chief Kevin Walters said.
Ahead of its first reimbursement in March, the WFD hired three full-time firefighters and plans to fund paramedic school for two firefighters, he said.
Having a station closer to homes can lower insurance rates, as response times contribute to a department’s fire suppression rating from the Insurance Service Organization, Krenek said.
Firefighters are able to best serve the five-mile radius around the station, a priority when determining station locations, Meier said.
“If you had an emergency, ... where do you want the firemen? You want them right out that door,” Meier said.
Meier said the district has a 2 or 3 ISO rating in some areas but a 10 in rural areas, with 1 being best and 10 worst. ISO ratings take into account the following:
- Fire department operations
- Community water supply
- Emergency communications system
- Community risk reduction
To open a new station, the department must hire 16 more firefighters and purchase new engines and equipment. Hiring can be a challenge due to competitive salaries and fewer individuals entering the industry since the COVID-19 pandemic, Meier said.
To stay competitive, the Fulshear department offers an annual base salary of $30 an hour with 42-hour work weeks and room for staff to pick up extra hours.
“People are moving out here in droves. Our responsibilities are going up. We ask for firefighters; we can’t get them," Meier said.
Looking ahead
The department will need to hire roughly 30-40 firefighters to join its almost 80-person team for the new planned stations, officials said. Krenek estimates the district will grow to have up to 12 stations by 2035.
Krenek said the sales tax revenue would help fund:
- Improved training capabilities with a new facility
- Operational costs, including staff
- Salary increases
