By Roger Croteau
San Antonio Express
Copyright 2007 San Antonio Express-News
All Rights Reserved
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — Since at least the 1980s, people living on a swath of land winding around the western edge of New Braunfels have had free fire and ambulance service. But city officials say that has to stop.
Residents there will be asked in a November election to create an emergency services district to levy a property tax to provide the services.
“The city of New Braunfels has been covering that area and they decided they simply can’t afford to do that anymore,” said Comal County Commissioner Jan Kennady, who has spearheaded efforts to organize the upcoming election. “That area is going to have to pay for service for itself, just like everyone else does.”
City officials said they will continue to provide fire and ambulance coverage for the “no man’s land” between the city and existing emergency districts until after the election and the new district has time to gear up and get running.
If the voters reject forming Comal County Emergency Services District No. 7, the city will likely continue to provide coverage, but with a “minimal” response, until another funding scenario is devised, Comal County Fire Marshal Lin Manford said.
County officials said a couple thousand people live in the area in question. It’s the only part of Comal County outside New Braunfels that’s not in an emergency district, so if a homeowner’s appraisal district notice does not show property taxes levied by either New Braunfels or a district, that house is in the affected area. The county will mail letters to residents of the proposed district informing them of an upcoming public hearing on the election, set for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at Oak Run School in New Braunfels.
“The county had an interlocal agreement with the city that said the city will provide EMS and fire service to that area if the county would take care of the city inmates at the county jail,” Kennady said. “That agreement has not been in effect for years, and it turns out, the county has to take care of the city’s inmates anyway. But the city just let it ride until now.”
Manford said if voters approve the emergency services district, it would likely contract with New Braunfels or another emergency service district, or a combination, to serve the area, at least until the new district would raise enough money to build and staff its own facilities.
The new ESD could levy a property tax as high as 10 cents per $100 of valuation and would have its own board of directors to set the rate and oversee the district’s operation.
“It will be helpful to have a new district” operate on its own, Kennady said. “It should result in better response times.”