Brazos County ESD No. 1

ESDs are designed to ensure adequate funding of local fire, EMS, rescue, and other emergency services through the levy of a property tax capped at $0.10 per $100 property valuation and collection of sales tax where authorized. Tax revenues provide a stable funding source and may be used by the ESD to contract with other entities, hire emergency personnel, and/or purchase new equipment and facilities. Through stable funding, many established ESDs have considerably reduced fire and medical response times and allowed local entities to provide enhanced services, thus saving lives, property, and funds for local citizens. Also, the establishment of an ESD may result in a better Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating within the ESD service area and reduce insurance premiums for businesses and homeowners. (Source: ESD Handbook, 1st edition: SAFE-D (Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts), Pflugerville, TX 2017.



BCESD 1 is an ISO Class 5/5Y community, predominantly rural in nature, with a resident population of over 20,000. The district is dominated by agricultural countryside used for crops, ranching, and agricultural research, natural areas, with a scattering of neighborhoods of single-family residences on parcels of estate size or greater. Two major highways (SH-6 and FM 2154), Class 1 rail lines (Union Pacific and Burlington Northern-Santa Fe), and numerous arterial roads and hazardous chemical pipelines. After years of modest growth, the District is experiencing active development and is expected to become more suburban in nature with a mixed land use of estate and smaller residential parcel sizes, multi-family dwellings, schools, light industry, and commercial retail centers.