Rapid growth and rising costs are forcing Princeton and other Collin County cities to end fire services outside city limits. Leaders warn response times and insurance rates could be affected unless voters approve a new emergency services district this fall.
Major changes are coming to many homes in Collin County.
The changes involve how tens of thousands of people receive help during emergencies like a fire or car accident, and are the result of rapid population growth and the rising cost of providing emergency services.
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WATCH HERE“Right now, we are struggling,” said Princeton Mayor Eugene Escobar Jr.
Princeton was recently named the fastest-growing city in the nation by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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SIGN UP It’s growing so fast, there’s a moratorium on residential construction.
“Any new development that comes to the city of Princeton, right now we are turning them away,” said Escobar.
Escobar says Princeton is struggling to keep up with growth, and it isn't just with new homes.
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He says fire and emergency services are stretched thin, too.
“We just are at the point where if we keep going the way we are going, we will fail,” said Escobar.
For years, Princeton has provided emergency services to its entire fire district, which extends well beyond its city limits into unincorporated Collin County.
The county reimburses the city, but Escobar says because of the increasing costs and more homes being built, Princeton spends far more money than it receives.
“We have to figure out how to fix the issue that we're in,” said Escobar.
Last week, the City of Princeton notified Collin County that it plans to terminate a fire protection services agreement that had been in place since 2013.
It joins neighboring cities of McKinney and Farmersville in ending emergency services outside city limits starting Oct. 1.
“I think it's a great thing for the city of Princeton,” said Princeton Fire Chief Shannon Stephens.
He continued, “We have exceptional people in this fire department, and I don't want to put them in a situation where they have a 15-minute response time and the first thing they have to do when they start solving the problems is start apologizing for the delayed response.”
Response times are one concern.
Collin County Commissioner Darrell Hale says there are more.
“Say we don’t work something out with the city of McKinney or the city of Farmersville, and there's an accident outside the city limits, who's coming fire truck-wise? Is someone going to come?” asked Hale.
But there may be a solution.
In February, county commissioners accepted a citizen’s petition to create an Emergency Services District. or ESD, similar to those in Denton and Parker Counties.
“Collin County is one of the largest counties that does not have any ESDs in it at all,” said Hale.
If voters approve the citizen-led ESD in the fall, county residents would pay a new tax so partnering cities can potentially be paid more for emergency services. The county does not have a fire department.
Any tax increase beyond the initial tax rate would require voter approval, explained Hale.
“If the ESD fails and you're not being provided fire protection from the surrounding city, guaranteed your insurance is going to go up,” said Hale.
He says he's getting frequent emails about how all this will work and is urging residents to read up as the process plays out.
“I think the ESD vote is important for people to take seriously because it directly affects their lives and their property in a very personal way,” said Hale.
A public hearing on the proposed ESD is scheduled for July 28.
Voters will decide whether to approve the ESD on Nov. 4.
