Election Information

Election Locations

The voting locations for the Fort Bend County Emergency Services District No 2 special election for the adoption of a local sales use tax are as follows:

2024

EV in Person Roster

Early Voting Daily Totals

Absentee Ballots

Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Bend County Emergency Services District No. 2 (FBESD 2) spans 18.63 square miles across the Northwestern side of Fort Bend County. FBESD 2 was formed in 2002 to serve the growing area of the Cinco Ranch Communities and surrounding areas.

FBESD 2 began providing services on January 1, 2003, located in a temporary station on Mason Road, which housed two pumpers staffed daily by four (4) firefighters working 24 hour shifts. In 2006, the Department moved into its first permanent station located at 24655 Westheimer Parkway staffed with five (5) part-time firefighters working 24 hour shifts. In 2013 the Department opened Station 2 located at 26950 Cinco Ranch Blvd, staffed with four (4) part-time firefighters, bringing the daily scheduled staff to nine (9) firefighters. In 2016, the Department hired its first full-time employees to fill the positions of Battalion Chief. In 2018, the Department opened Station 3, located at 2700 Spring Green, and hired twelve (12) full-time Captains, four (4) for each shift, to assist the Battalion Chiefs in managing the growing department. Since 2018, the Department has continued to keep up with the area growth by adding nine (9) full-time firefighters and six (6) Engineer/Operators bringing our current staffing to thirty (30) full-time and sixty (60) part-time personnel providing 24 hour daily coverage. This staffing level allows the Department to operate with sixteen (16) scheduled firefighters per day, three hundred and sixty-five (365) days each year. FBESD 2 has an ISO rating of one (1).  ISO ratings, which are used by the insurance industry to set fire insurance premium rates, vary from 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest-level rating available.

An Emergency Services District (“ESD”) is a local political subdivision of the State created by an election(s), that provide fire, rescue, EMS and other emergency services. Emergency Services Districts (ESDs) are authorized by the Texas Constitution, Article 3, Section 48-e, and Chapter 775 of the Texas Health & Safety Code. ESDs may collect a sales and use tax and/or property taxes to support or provide these services. ESDs are governed by a Board of five (5) Commissioners who are either appointed or elected. There are more than 340 emergency services districts operating in Texas across 90 counties. Fort Bend County Emergency Services District No. 2 (“FBESD 2”) is an ESD that is governed by five (5) appointed commissioners and is funded by property taxes.

In Texas, the state collects $0.0625 (6.25%) on every dollar spent but allows other local government entities to collect up to $0.02 (2%), with a state maximum of $0.0825 (8.25%), to support community services.

If a sales tax proposition passes, the sales tax is collected on the sale, lease, or rental of tangible goods and some services. The tax is collected by the seller and remitted to state and local tax authorities.  The amount of sales tax collected cannot exceed the 8.25% cap.

NO. A sales tax election does not affect property taxes.  If the sales tax proposition passes, the collection of sales tax will be collected from anyone buying taxable goods and services in the District.  The money obtained from a sales tax will go to the District and not further fund the State.  The money collected will be used to fund the District and help better serve the community.

FBESD 2 is funded solely by property taxes and donations.  The District is calling for this election to help with the increased demands associated with an increase of population and growth within the District and to augment a portion of funding by shifting the some of the burden away from property owners to anyone buying taxable goods and services in the District, including but not limited to those traveling through the County who also use the District’s emergency services.

Prior to calling for the election, the District created a task force to develop a needs assessment based not only on the fire protection area of the District, but to ultimately meet the national standards for fire protection.  Based on the task force report, the District called for a sales tax election to help fund the District’s needs without more of a burden on property taxes.

The District has considered other sources of additional funding, and believes the best option that has the least impact on residents, would be the use of a sales tax.

Currently, funding for emergency services in the District falls solely on residents’ property taxes, with no participation from those traveling to and through the District.  If the sales tax proposition passes, this would place less of a burden on property taxes throughout the District.

No.  State law allows for a maximum of $0.0825 (8.25%). The Texas state sales and use tax rate is $0.0625 (6.25%), but local taxing jurisdictions like an emergency services district also may impose sales and use tax up to $0.02 (2%) for a total maximum combined rate of $0.0825 (8.25%).

The May 4, 2024 ballot for FBESD 2 will read as follows:

Proposition A:

The adoption of a local sales and use tax in Fort Bend County Emergency Services District No. 2 at a rate not to exceed two percent (2%) in any location in the District.

Prior to calling for the election, the Board created a six (6) person task force comprised of two (2) board members, two (2) firefighters and two (2) citizens.   The task force was created to evaluate the Department’s current fire protection and to develop a needs assessment based not only on the fire protection area of the District, but ultimately to meet the National Standards for Fire Protection.

The task force concluded, based on the evaluation, that in order to meet the District’s needs and National Standards of Fire Protection, the District would need additional funding of $1,500,000 for staffing needs each year.  The task force recommended to help reduce known cancer-causing chemicals created by firefighting related exposures, decontamination showers should be added, in addition to washers, dryers and a second set of bunker gear, for a cost between $500,0000 and $550,000, with a recurring maintenance cost between $30,000 to $40,000 annually.  The task force also recommended upgrading the level of care provided to the District’s citizens from BLS (Basic Life Support) to ALS (Advanced Life Support) by adding EMT-Advanced and Paramedic response capabilities.  The cost of the transition to provide ALS is estimated at $265,000 in equipment, with an annual cost of $170,000 in salaries.

If the sales tax proposition passes, funding from the sales tax will be used for additional staffing, reducing cancer-causing chemicals, bunker gear, and the transition to providing residents Advanced Life Support.

A firefighter’s uniform known as bunker gear costs an average of $4,000 per firefighter. The average cost of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), which provides firefighters the greatest amount of airway protection from toxic gas and harmful particulates resulting from a fire is $5,000.

The average price for a ladder truck is $2.1million.  The additional equipment needed for the ladder truck is an average of $300,000, for a total of $2.4 million.  The average ladder truck that is on the road today that is used to put out fires’ costs $2,000,000.

Whether or not the sales tax proposition passes, the District will continue to serve the District’s residents.  However, with the issues related to the growth in population, the needs of the District and the increased cost for equipment and supplies, the issues facing the District and implementation of a long-range plan will be limited.

1004, 1014, 1038, 1122, 1130, 1133, 1142, 1143, 1144, 1145, 1146, 1148, 1156, 1159

Early voting will be held at Willowfork Fire Department Station 3, located at 2700 Spring Green Boulevard Katy, TX 77494.  The hours of early voting will be conducted between Monday, April 22, 2024, through Friday, April 26, 2024, from 9AM – 6PM and Monday, April 29, 2024, through Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 9AM – 6PM.

Election Day will be held on May 4, 2024, from 7AM – 7PM at Willowfork Fire Department Station 2, located at 26950 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Katy, Texas 77494.   

If you would like more information about the upcoming election, please visit  www.willowforkfire.com.

WHAT IS AN ESD?

An Emergency Services District is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, similar to a School District, Library District or Hospital District.