HENDERSON COUNTY–A motion by Henderson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Mark Richardson to order a Nov. 8 election for the creation of Emergency Services District (ESD) 13 failed for the lack of a second before the Henderson County Commissioners’ Court Aug. 9.
The proposed ESD would have served the Log Cabin area. The court had voted July 12 to accept a petition to create the ESD and set Aug. 9 for a public hearing on the matter.
Before the vote, Anne Sherrill of the Clearwater Bay subdivision (which would have been part of the proposed ESD, along with the City of Log Cabin and the Point La Vista subdivision) spoke during the public hearing against the formation of the ESD.
Sherrill questioned the process by which ESDs are formed and said she was against more taxes, saying without the ESD, the area would still receive fire service. “Once these ESDs are formed, they never die. They just keep on and on and on,” Sherrill said.
Before the item failed for the lack of a second, County Attorney Clint Davis advised the court that ordering the ESD-creation election was part of its statutory authority to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community.
County Fire Marshal Shane Renberg said current fire protection services in the area are provided by donations and county funding of more than $11,000 annually for each eligible department. Renberg also said the City of Log Cabin backed the petition to call the election but that the City of Caney City chose not to.
County Judge Wade McKinney said rural fire protection in rural areas is the responsibility of the county while fire services inside incorporated areas are the responsibility of those cities. McKinney said the county contracts with fire departments to serve rural areas.
The court also approved a property tax (an ad valorem tax) collections agreement between the County Tax Assessor-Collector and the cities of Athens, Brownsboro, Caney City, Chandler, Enchanted Oaks, Eustace, Frankston, Gun Barrel City (delinquent collection of a former ad valorem tax), Log Cabin, Malakoff, Payne Springs (delinquent collection of a former ad valorem tax), Star Harbor, Tool and Trinidad.
The county also will collect property taxes for the Athens, Brownsboro, Cross Roads, Eustace, Frankston, LaPoynor, Malakoff, Murchison and Trinidad independent school districts (ISDs), as well as Trinity Valley Community College.
Further, property tax collection agreements were approved with ESDs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11, along with the Lake View Management & Development District (which serves the Long Cove development near Malakoff) and Athens Municipal Water Authority.
The county is not authorized to make a profit by providing the tax-collection service, McKinney said, only to cover costs of materials used in the process.
In other business, the court:
• Approved an order for an election for county and precinct offices to be held Nov. 8.
• Approved the purchase of a replacement battery and two cartridges for the Precinct 3 Constable’s Taser.
• Approved renewing 2022-23 county employee health insurance benefits.
• Approved the 2022-23 Employee Wellness Incentive plan, including tobacco cessation programs.