New Emergency Services District being considered
East Bernard EMS wants district as funding source
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Voters in the East Bernard area may soon be voting on spending tax dollars to upgrade the level of service they receive from their local emergency response providers.

A petition requesting an election for May 3 to establish Wharton County Emergency District No. 2 will be presented to the county commissioners court Monday.

The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the county courthouse annex building, 309 E. Milam in Wharton.

"All that is planned for Monday is presentation of the petition," County Judge John Murrile said.

"They told us they have enough signatures for the petition. Before we act, we'll have to make sure the information and names are valid."

The petition was circulated by the East Bernard EMS as a way of funding future services and expansion.

The East Bernard EMS was originally organized in 1980 as a volunteer first responder organization and then upgraded to a full-fledged ambulance service that purchased their first ambulance in 1981.

"We've always been a volunteer service," EMS director Douglas Hancock said in a November interview.

"But today the community's need for service is more and more and we just don't have the volunteers to provide regular coverage."

The proposed service area would be similar to Wharton County ESD No. 1, which collects tax revenues for the county's volunteer fire departments.

The new ESD tax, if approved by voters, would be collected in the EBEMS service area, which is defined from a starting point of the Texas 60 and U.S. 90-A intersection.

It would extend east to the Fort Bend County line, west to the Colorado County line, north to the Austin County line and south to CR 208-Hwy. 60 intersection.

The area is about 130 square miles and would have an estimated taxable value of $260 million based on Wharton County Appraisal District numbers.

In other actions, the commissioners will "take all appropriate action" regarding the final payment to Stoddard Construction for the courthouse restoration project, phase II.

Murrile said any payments would be contingent on the company addressing a number of items still outstanding on the substantial completion inspection list or items covered by warranties. That list includes problems with the outside ground lights, problems with a number of interior and exterior doors and wall light fixtures.

The commissioners have an executive session scheduled to discuss the purchase and/or sale of property followed by action items regarding a request for proposals for an architect for the design of the proposed justice of the peace office for Precinct 3 in Louise and awarding the bid for the county property located at the corner of Milam and Resident streets across the street from the Wharton annex.