Editorial Summary: In a significant referendum win, Willow Park residents and Willow Park ETJ residents voted to allow ESD1 to annex Willow Park and ETJ fire and rescue territory into the ESD1 territory, and to assume the ESD1 debt.
• Latest Update: Monday, 13 March, 2023; Wednesday, 09 November, 2022
• Tags: #Elections2020 #CityHall #EMSFirePoliceAmb
• Original Willow Park Civics blog "Voter Ed: Selling the WP Fire Dept. Props A&B" below.
• Abbreviations: Willow Park Fire Rescue Department (WPFR); Parker County Emergency Services District 1 (ESD1); Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)
11 November 2022
By Rick Mauch
Excerpt
Voters in Willow Park, by an almost 2-1 margin Tuesday, approved the Parker County Emergency Services District 1 annexation of the city's fire department.
The unofficial vote, as it has yet to be certified, was 1,048 for (62.05%) and 641 against (37.95%).
Voters outside Willow Park but inside ESD1 also approved the measure, with about 80% voting yes.
The vote was a hot topic of debate in Willow Park for months as those in favor of the annexation were touting the monetary benefits of such a move, while those opposed expressed concern of the city losing its fire department. Likewise, over that span, ESD1 officials and Willow Park leaders reassured citizens that would not be the case.
“The election results for the ESD1 demonstrates the voters’ appreciation for the fire service we have in Willow Park and the voters’ commitment to providing resources for the firefighters and their families," Willow Park City Manager Bryan Grimes said. "For the City of Willow Park the work now begins on ensuring a seamless transition. I look forward to working with ESD1 Chief Stephen Watson and ESD1 President Mark Jack and congratulate them on the election.”
The decision could also pave the way for a much-needed new city hall in Willow Park.
In a recent meeting, citizens were given a list of assurances of what will happen now that the annexation has been approved.
1. ESD1 guarantees employment of current Willow Park Fire Department personnel.
2. ESD1 will lease the current fire station, which is attached to the Willow Park Public Safety Building (PSB,) and will purchase the existing city hall property for construction of a future fire station.
3. The city will lease the current fire station and the ESD1 will lease the current city hall to the other respective entity at an agreed upon fair market rate. The lease for both entities will be for a two-to-three-year period, or until the city can construct a city hall at a site to be determined.
4. The sale of real property will be an agreed upon amount based on appraisals and supporting documentation.
5. ESD1 will acquire all assets as needed for the operation of the fire service. With respect to the current Willow Park Fire Department fleet, each entity will secure an appraisal on each vehicle, and then agree upon an amount for each vehicle based on the two appraisals.
6. ESD1 will be required to have a ladder truck stationed in Willow Park.
7. The purchase of Station 2, located near the City of Willow Park Public Works Building, will be determined by ESD1 to see if it is required for operations. If not purchased, the city of Willow Park has a need for the building and will utilize it. However, city officials said fire service operations are the priority with this facility.
8. Upon the transition of personnel from the city to ESD1, the city will pay the ESD1 for fire services. It is anticipated it will be for quarters three and four of the current fiscal year.
9. The interlocal agreement will be completed by April 1, 2023. This is also the transition date for fire personnel to go from the City of Willow Park to ESD 1. All talking points and action items will be concluded on or before Sept. 30, 2023 — the end of the fiscal year for both entities.
As for how ESD1 benefits, Watson has said repeatedly it is a strategic move to streamline services throughout the county with everyone working for the same agency. ESD1 covers 311 square miles and 70,000 residents, including Aledo, the Annettas, Springtown, Peaster, Poolville, Morningstar, Silver Creek and Lajunta.
The ESDs are funded by a 1.5% sales tax in unincorporated areas and an ad-valorem (property) tax of up to 10 cents per $100 in incorporated areas such as Willow Park.
Further discussion about going forward now that the annexation has been approved is expected to take place at a council meeting in December.
• Election results, Willow Park website, posted 009 November 2022
Results from the November 8, 2022 election -
Proposition A (Willow Park voters):
For 1631 (64.93%)
Against 881 (35.07%)
Proposition B (Willow Park voters):
For 1500 (60.36%)
Against 985 (39.64%)
Proposition AA (ESD1 voters):
For 18174 (80.63%)
Against 4366 (19.37%)
Proposition BB (ESD1 voters):
For 16968 (76.74%)
Against 5143 (23.26%)
===========
ORIGINAL POST
Voter Ed: Selling the WP Fire Dept. Props A&B
Editorial Summary: As documented in the 11 October 2022 Willow Park City Council Meeting, one purpose of selling the Willow Park Fire and Rescue Department to ESD1 is to build a new Willow Park City Hall, but WP and ETJ voters have the final say on the 08 November general ballot; Proposition A and B, Selling the WP Fire-Rescue to ESD1; Issues to Study - tax increase, fire and rescue service and autonomy, proposed benefits to WPFR.
• Latest Update: Monday, 07 November, 2022
• Tags: #Elections2020 #CityHall #EMSFirePoliceAmb
• The Community News article, 28 October 2022
Election Day. 08 Nov 2022, Tuesday / Election: Sample Ballot for Willow Park / Election Articles: Get voting now. / Election Articles. Get started now.
Voter Ed: Selling the Willow Park Fire-Rescue Department
Every vote counts. “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little,” advised economist and philosopher Edmund Burke.
Propositions A&B
On the 08 November general election ballot for Willow Park and Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), the Parker County Emergency Services District 1 (ESD1) has placed two Special Election questions.
Proposition A, "Adding a tract of land located in the City of Willow Park, Texas, and adjacent territory to Parker County Emergency Services District No. 1”. For or Against.
“Adding a tract of land” means annexing the area of Willow Park and ETJ fire-rescue services to the area of ESD1 fire-rescue services. In this case, adding or annexing means selling (annexing, transferring) the Willow Park Fire-Rescue (WPFR) assets to ESD1 and transferring the WPFR employees to ESD1.
A vote FOR Proposition A means a Willow Park or Willow Park ETJ voter SUPPORTS selling the WPFR to ESD1. If you don’t want to sell the Willow Park Fire-Rescue Department, vote AGAINST.
A vote FOR Proposition B means a Willow Park and ETJ registered voter SUPPORTS assuming the current debt of the ESD1. During his two presentations to Willow Park citizens, ESD1 Fire Chief Watson indicated, in his experience, most citizens vote AGAINST on Proposition B, not to assume the existing debt of ESD1. A no vote just means separate ESD1 accounting for Willow Park assets.
Purpose of Sale of Willow Park Fire-Rescue
Our elected officials have been working behind the scenes for over a year, to sell the Willow Park Fire-Rescue Department (WPFR) to Parker County Emergency Services District 1 (ESD1), in order to build a new city hall.
The details of the proposed sale of the WPF to ESD1, were documented during the 11 October council meeting. ESD1 will purchase the existing City Hall property and lease it back to the City, and the lease “will be for a 2 – 3 Year period, or until the City can construct a City Hall at a site to be determined.”
If the citizens of Willow Park and ETJ vote yes on Proposition A, the city will sell the Willow Park Fire-Rescue Department AND the current Willow Park City Hall to ESD1 for funds to “construct a City Hall.” The final contract for the sale of the WPFR is planned to be completed by April 2023, before the May 2023 election for mayor and council seats 1 and 2.
Issues for Voter Study
The following is a summary of items Willow Park and ETJ voters need to study before they vote on Proposition A, during the 08 November general election and early voting that starts 24 October.
First, theoretically, Willow Park Citizens will exchange a property tax levied by the City of Willow Park for fire and emergency services, for a tax levied by the Parker County ESD1 for these same services.
If the WPFR is sold to ESD1, property owners in Willow Park and ETJ will have a new tax line item on their property tax bill, levied by ESD1, at a tax rate of $.1 per $100 property value. That’s a property tax increase of about 19%. Our elected city officials indicated they might lower the city property tax rate enough to offset new ESD1 tax.
However, even if the city decreases our Willow Park city property taxes to offset the ESD1 property tax, senior citizens and ETJ residents will pay more in property taxes. The senior citizen exemptions, that are given by the city, are not provided by ESD1; ETJ residents, who currently do not pay Willow Park city property taxes, will find the ESD1 tax on their property tax bill.
Second, according to city officials, the $1.5M budget of the WPFR is an economic burden on the city. In exchange for autonomy over their fire-rescue services and for the sale of the WPFR assets and employees to ESD1, Willow Park will be freed of the expense of fire and emergency services in Willow Park. Willow Park elected officials will be able spend the freed funds on projects such as lowering the city property tax rate, spending $20M on street improvements, and increasing parks and trails, In addition, as of 11 October, the city must build a city hall within three years; the new “full-build out” city hall proposed in May 2022 is $7M without real estate.
Third, Willow Park and ESD1 officials have assured citizens our WPFR employees will have better benefits and will be better off working for ESD1. However, in August, when the council approved this year’s benefits packet for city employees, the city kept the health benefits package with a 5% increase in premiums, even though there was another health package bid that was “significantly” lower. The city employees chose to stay with the current but more expensive benefits that were described as “very good.”
As for being “better-off,” Willow Park firefighters will always have the option to work for ESD1. Still, our current Willow Park firefighters have chosen to work for the WPFR, so there must be some intrinsic value in working for Willow Park.
Fourth, our elected officials and ESD1 assure the citizens we will have the same or better service when ESD1 is in control of our fire and emergency needs. If the WPFR is sold to ESD1, Willow Park and ETJ will be 3% of the ESD1 territory and 15% of the ESD1 residents. While Willow Park is the main focus of our current Willow Park Fire-Rescue Department, we are about to become very little fish in a pond over thirty times larger.
But the voters of Willow Park and ETJ have the only voice in this decision to sell the Willow Park Fire-Rescue Department.
For or against this proposition, Willow Park citizens have the right and the responsibility to become educated voters. There is no excuse not to vote. Early voting runs from 24 October through 04 November. Election Day is Tuesday, 08 November.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower counseled, “Public service ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people.” ---
Support
• Sample Ballot(s) with links to candidate websites.
Abbreviations
Willow Park Fire Rescue Department (WPFR)
Parker County Emergency Services District 1 (ESD1)
Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)