Prosper Joins Initiative for Emergency Services District in Collin County

Collin County News

May 16, 2025 Maverick Tax Guardians

The Prosper Town Council has voted to participate in the proposed Collin County Emergency Services District No. 1 (ESD No. 1), a move aimed at enhancing emergency response services in unincorporated areas of the county. This decision was made during the council’s meeting on May 13, 2025.

By opting in, Prosper ensures that the creation of ESD No. 1 will appear on the November ballot for residents living in the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) within Collin County. Additionally, the measure will be on the ballot for residents in unincorporated areas of other Collin County cities that choose to participate.

If approved by voters, ESD No. 1 will establish a dedicated funding mechanism through a property tax levied only on residents within the district. This tax will finance fire protection and emergency medical services in the unincorporated areas, reimbursing municipalities like Prosper that provide these services beyond their city limits.

Prosper Town Manager Mario Canizares clarified that the ESD is intended solely as a funding tool and does not involve the county or the ESD operating their own emergency services. “There is no desire for the county or the ESD to actually have fire, EMS services, in other words, stations,” Canizares stated. “It is purely a funding mechanism to reimburse those communities that provide services into the ETJ.”

This initiative, authorized by the Texas Legislature, aims to ensure that residents in unincorporated areas receive adequate emergency services funded through localized taxation. The outcome of the November vote will determine the establishment and funding structure of ESD No. 1.

Source
This news article is based on information from
Community Impact – “Prosper joins push for Emergency Services District in Collin County “( May 14, 2025). Retrieved from:https://communityimpact.com/dallas-fort-worth/prosper-celina/government/2025/05/14/prosper-joins-push-for-emergency-services-district-in-collin-county/