Local leaders come together to provide fire, EMS services to Ector Co residents

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A proposition on the Ector County ballot this November could help expand first responder presence across the County.

City, County, and medical leaders held a news conference Wednesday to talk about the dire need for a first responder presence, such as firefighters and emergency medical services, in rural parts of Odessa. The new proposition would do just that, allow tax money to go toward new fire stations, and help County residents receive help more quickly in an emergency.

“We had a couple of conversations with the fire department which runs the EMS service, the ambulance service, and everybody knows there’s an issue with reaching the farthest parts of the county. The fastest is 30 to 45 minutes sometimes…every minute counts when it’s your life on the line. So, we talked, and we’ve come up with this way. It’s a better way to provide better service. That’s really what it is,” said Wallace Dunn, Ector County Hospital Board President.

The expansion won’t come without a change to what residents are paying, however. The plan details that City taxes would decrease by 14 cents per $100 valuation while taxes paid to the Ector County Hospital District would increase by eight cents per $100 valuation. So, City residents would see a lower tax rate and County residents would gain improved fire and EMS services. The hospital district would be the branch handling the funds for these expansions and will pay to employ the fire and EMS crews.

“And what we understood is the city of Odessa residents would be able to see a tax decrease with the emergency service districts, that wasn’t going to be an option. So, this is actually the best tax policy-based decision that we could do for all Ector County residents. It’s actually less than what we were talking about for the emergency service districts as far as levying taxes. So, it’s good for them and then also it lowers tax rates for the City of Odessa residents. So it is a win-win, but as I mentioned in there at the end of the day, this is all about saving lives,” said Ector County Judge, Dustin Fawcett.

Fawcett said the goal is to build new fire stations in Gardendale, south Ector County, and the unincorporated area of West Odessa.

If voters approve the measure this November, the proposition would go to the state legislature for approval; the earliest date to implement the agreement would be 2026.

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