Spicewood VFD and EMS, Burnet County ESD No. 9 agree to service contract

Following years of operating on donations and a stipend from Burnet County, the Spicewood Volunteer Fire Department–Emergency Medical Service is about to get some relief.

Burnet County Emergency Services District No. 9, formed in November, agreed July 9 to supplement Spicewood VFD and EMS costs in exchange for the department providing fire protection and first responder services to the area, Spicewood EMS Director Patsy Lester said.

"We've survived on donations and fundraisers," she said. "It got to the point where we couldn't keep up anymore."

Population growth in the area has made it necessary to seek additional funding, Lester said.

The contract will begin Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year, she said. ESD No. 9 will decide the ad valorem tax rate it will charge—up to $0.10 per $100 of property valuation, the maximum allowed by state law—to support the agreement, she said.

Currently, Spicewood VFD–EMS operated with a $170,000 annual budget which includes $23,000 in funds it receives yearly from Burnet County Commissioners Court, Lester said.

The funds from a potential tax rate would be used for maintaining the department's equipment and purchasing new firefighter coats and hats, she said.