FAQ
Myth: ESD 2 Prop A will defund the fire department.
Fact: ESD 2 has more than $57 million in net assets and had over 100 vacant positions for this year. Prop A will reclaim a half-cent sales tax and make it available for the city to provide ambulance services to Pflugerville, which ESD 2 is not providing. ESD 2 Board voted in 2017 to use tax revenue for both Fire AND ambulances when they purchased ambulances and assumed ambulance service. Once they started using tax revenue for ambulances, ESD 2 committed to the public to provide that service with our taxes.However after 2021, ESD 2 stopped providing ambulance services. We want to empower citizens of Pflugerville to take that money and direct it back into providing this essential service for the good of public safety.
Myth: If Prop A passes, ESD 2 will have to layoff over 80 firefighters and close 3 stations.
Fact: There is no reason to layoff firefighters should Prop A pass, and we would be vocally against any attempt to do so as a result. Not only should ESD 2 not layoff firefighters, they have more than 100 vacant but funded positions. They have provided no data to support their claim.
In the September 12, 2024 ESD 2 board meeting, they chose to raise their reserve fund policy to 6 months of operational funds, up from the standard 3 months, all the while maintaining 18 months in reserves. They can hoard money or save jobs. We would rather they save jobs.
While we have no control over what the unelected ESD 2 board does, we encourage you to reach out to them to voice your concern.
- rico.reyes@pflugervillefire.org
- april.griffin@pflugervillefire.org
- mike.howe@pflugervillefire.org
- robert.turner@pflugervillefire.org
- randall.reese@pflugervillefire.org
Myth: Pflugerville has its own Fire Department
Fact: There is no PFD (Pflugerville Fire Department). ESD 2 is a county taxing authority, and they are responsible for fire services and, up until 2022, also provided ambulance services. We are asking for a portion of the sales tax back from ESD 2, so that Pflugerville will be empowered to provide their own ambulance services, through representatives that are accountable to voters.
Myth: ESD 2 is faster and cheaper
Fact: Both our previous provider, ATCEMS, and our current service are faster, and strategically located near the highest call locations. Faster is better and means lives are saved.
On top of the property taxes and sales tax that you pay, ESD 2 also charges user fees. So you pay for it twice, and their user fees are higher than our current service.
Myth: We have no plan.
Fact: Yes, we do. This is the first step to providing a local and affordable ambulance service to the area that is there when we need it. Currently, ESD 2 is not providing ambulance service to Pflugerville. ESD 2 Prop A is supported by many on the Pflugerville City Council, and this will empower them to provide dedicated ambulance service. Currently, the city is using our property taxes to contract with an outside provider, thus eliminating funds that could be used for other projects like parks, road maintenance, further public safety improvements, or allowing us to keep more of our money.
Myth: ESD 2 doesn’t have the tax revenue to provide ambulances to the City of Pflugerville.
Fact: Yes, they do. They have over $32 million in net profit over the last 4 years. The cost to provide private ambulance services paid for by the city of Pflugerville is only $1.7m. In 2021, while still providing the service, they had a $10 million surplus. In 2022, when they stopped providing the service, they had a surplus of $10 million. They have the money!
ESD 2 provided Ambulance services until 2022, when they had a change of heart, saying they aren’t required to. That’s fine, but we need the money to pay for this essential service.
Myth: Additional ESD 2 property taxes are needed to provide ambulance services
Fact: This is false, as they continue to have large net surpluses and were providing ambulance services up until the end of 2021.
Fire truck calls were lower in 2022 & 2023 when compared to 2021 and EMS calls decreased by 49% – if calls are flat and decreasing, and they are hiring new additional personnel, this is a budgeting problem and not a demand/funds problem.
ESD 2 is already planning to raise property taxes to the maximum allowable rate for the next 5 years so Prop A has no impact on their current plans to increase your property taxes.
Myth: ESD 2 is accountable to the local residents.
Fact: The ESD 2 board is composed of 5 unelected members who, theoretically, are there to represent the best interests of the district, though their past actions throw that into question. Did you know they fought against our citizen-led petition, and we are only able to have this election because of actions by the Texas Supreme Court? It’s true. And did you know that the President of the Board, Rico Reyes, not only doesn’t live in the district, but doesn’t even live in the State? This is also true, and he lives in Kansas.
Myth: Aren’t you a special interest group funded by developers?
Fact: More than 7,100 voluntary signatures from residents were gathered. Our donors are public, and while some may have development businesses, this proposition is about reclaiming a small portion of sales tax for a better ambulance service, and has nothing to do with land use, building codes, or anything else that a developer would be interested in for their business. Now, who funds the other side? Nobody knows, because they (illegally) don’t disclose that.