In response to a citizen petition to create the Collin County Emergency Services District (ESD) No. 1, the Commissioners Court is moving forward with the state-defined process for the creation of an ESD. The proposed ESD would provide fire protection and emergency services to residents living in unincorporated areas.
How We Got Here
For decades, the Collin County Commissioners Court has voluntarily funded fire protection and EMS services in unincorporated areas including municipal extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJ). This has been achieved through annual contracts with municipal and volunteer fire departments, backed by approximately $2 million in county funding.
However, the future of this arrangement has changed dramatically:
- In October 2023, the City of Melissa notified the County it would end its fire protection contract effective October 1, 2024.
- The Cities of McKinney and Farmersville also announced contract terminations effective October 1, 2025.
As rising service costs and city funding challenges increase, these contract terminations prompted Collin County to explore long-term solutions. One option—an Emergency Services District—emerged from a citizen initiative. The proposed ESD No. 1 in Collin County would encompass all of the unincorporated areas within the county including the ETJs of cities that consent to have their ETJs included.
What Is an ESD?
An Emergency Services District is a citizen-led political subdivision authorized by the Texas Legislature to provide fire and emergency services. ESDs are funded through a property tax (up to $0.10 per $100 of valuation) which is initially set by the Commissioners Court of a county.
An ESD is governed independently by appointed board members who are appointed by the County Commissioners Court. The Collin County Commissioners Court envisions the ESD No. 1 to provide fire and emergency services by contracting with cities to provide the services, instead of building its own fire stations.
The Process So Far
On February 24, 2025, Collin County Commissioners Court accepted a petition from residents to consider the formation of the Collin County ESD No. 1. A public hearing on the proposed district is scheduled for:
Monday, July 28, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.
Collin County Commissioners Court
Public Hearing on Proposed ESD Boundaries
The ESD, if approved by voters in November 2025, would establish a budget by October 1, 2026 and would contract for services with cities and volunteer fire departments.
Where We Stand Now
As required by state law, a city must consent in writing to include their ETJ in the proposed ESD. For cities that do not affirmatively consent in writing, those ETJs will not be included in the proposed ESD boundaries and the citizens within that ETJ will not be able to vote in the ESD election.
As of
May 12, 2025, the following cities
have consented in writing to their ETJs to be included within the proposed ESD:
- Blue Ridge, Celina, Farmersville, Fate, Josephine, Lavon, Lowry Crossing, McKinney, Melissa, Murphy, Nevada, New Hope, Princeton, Prosper, Royse City, Weston, Wylie
- The City of New Hope has voted to include its city limits within the ESD in addition to its ETJ.
Cities that
did not consent to include their ETJ within the ESD:
- Allen, Anna, Fairview, Frisco, Garland, Hebron, Lucas, Saint Paul, Trenton, Van Alstyne
- The cities of Anna and Lucas have indicated that they will provide fire service and EMS within their ETJ
What You Can Do
If you live in the unincorporated area of Collin County outside of an ETJ
- You are automatically included in the proposed ESD
- Attend the public hearing on July 28, 2025
- Vote on the ESD on November 4, 2025
If you live in the ETJ of a city that did NOT consent to inclusion within the ESD:
- You will not be able to vote in the ESD election
- Should the ESD vote pass, you will not receive fire or EMS services from the ESD
- Cities may provide fire or EMS services to you (please contact your city)
- You have the right to opt out of the ETJ and request to be included in the ESD (See Texas Local Government Code Section 42.104 and 42.105)
- To opt-out of the ETJ, you must submit the petition to opt-out of the ETJ to your respective city no later than the week of June 6, 2025, to ensure you have sufficient time for the opt-out process to take place per statute prior to the ESD public hearing on July 28, 2025 (Note: this is not intended to be legal advice)
Why This Matters
Without an ESD or a city’s direct provision of services, some residents may find themselves without fire or EMS coverage after current contracts expire. This makes local city decisions—and individual resident action—critical in the coming weeks.
Collin County continues to provide information as this process unfolds, but state law prohibits the County from advocating for or against ESD creation. Also, the County cannot provide legal advice.
For more details, including fire district maps and how to check your ETJ status, please visit:
