Magnolia leaders are moving from campaign mode to planning mode after voters approved Proposition A, a sales tax measure expected to help Montgomery County Emergency Services District No. 10 add firefighters, improve stations and plan future coverage.
The measure, which passed May 2, allowed MCESD No. 10 to adopt an increased sales and use tax in areas with sales tax capacity available, according to prior Community Impact reporting.
Over the next few months, the district will work with an Insurance Services Office consultant to build a detailed capital improvement plan, department officials said. The goal is to use data to decide where to add staffing, place future stations and purchase apparatus, rather than make those calls by “guesswork,” Magnolia Fire Captain Bryan Perry said.
The additional sales tax will begin being collected Oct. 1, with the first revenue expected around December because of a two-month lag between collection and receipt, according to the department.
In Year 1, Perry said the focus will be staffing and bringing existing stations up to the standards of a career department. Several stations were built for volunteer operations and were not designed for full-time crews living on shift 24/7, he said.
The department expects to post firefighter openings sometime after Oct. 1 as it works toward its goal of staffing four people on each apparatus.
What this means
The department already has two new engines on order, with delivery expected in early 2027, Perry said.
MCESD No. 10 is also discussing a replacement for Station 186, which is currently located at 32707 FM 2978, Magnolia. The new station would be built on property the district previously purchased at 310 Honea Egypt, Magnolia.
Officials said future station decisions will lean on call volume and other response data. The district owns three vacant properties, and leaders plan to study which site would provide the biggest service benefit before moving forward.
For some residents, officials said that could mean a future station closer to home as Magnolia grows.
Before you go
Residents will be able to track sales tax spending through the district’s normal budgeting process, Perry said. Budgets, amendments and financial information are posted on the department’s website, and spending requires board approval.
The department also plans to share updates on social media as projects move forward.
Officials said more firefighters on each truck should help crews manage emergencies faster, while additional stations would be the quickest way to reduce response times in growing areas.
