Both proposed emergency services districts were trailing in an unofficial results snapshot posted by eextra.news at 9:47 p.m. Tuesday. The snapshot showed 44.93% turnout, with 34,680 ballots cast among 77,183 registered voters. At that point, 56.3% opposed ESD No. 1’s Proposition A, with half of precincts reporting; 59.9% opposed ESD No. 2’s Proposition A, with 85.71% reporting. The figures were unofficial, pending the county canvass.
A proposed tax stream, not an immediate fix
The proposals would have authorized each district to levy property taxes of up to 10 cents per $100 of assessed value, the Herald-Banner reported. ESD No. 1 would have covered Caddo Mills Volunteer Fire Department and its existing response area. ESD No. 2 would have included South Hunt County Fire and Rescue, Tawakoni Volunteer Fire Department and Tawakoni South Volunteer Fire Department, according to earlier eextra.news coverage. The districts would not have delivered full tax revenue until January 2028, eextra.news reported in June. With both measures still trailing, any ongoing revenue from the proposed districts remained contingent on the election outcome.
The Caddo Mills proposal was intended to support staffing and equipment as demand grows.
Grants can help with equipment, but are not district taxes
State assistance offers a different kind of support. The Texas A&M Forest Service’s Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program provides grants for items such as vehicles, firefighting and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry hydrants and training. In Hunt County, the Celeste Volunteer Fire Department received a grant-funded slip-on unit, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The scale of statewide awards also should not be mistaken for local allocations: Texas A&M AgriLife Today reported that the Forest Service approved $164 million statewide for 558 fire trucks and 321 slip-on units. That figure is not specific to Hunt County.
