The Collin County Commissioners Court has appointed five commissioners for Emergency Services District #1 (ESD-1) to oversee fire protection for rural county residents.
The district was formed after being approved by 72% of eligible voters in the Nov. 4, 2025, general election.
Each county commissioner appointed one ESD-1 commissioner at the court’s Monday, Feb. 16, meeting. Appointees must live within the 75.5 square miles of unincorporated county land in the district. Three appointees will serve two-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2027, and two will serve one-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2026.
County Judge Chris Hill named Daniel Robinson of Farmersville to a one-year term, Commissioner Susan Fletcher appointed Tim Mock of Farmersville to a two-year term, Commissioner Cheryl Williams appointed Kevin McGillis of Princeton to a two-year term, Commissioner Darrell Hale named Randal Shinn of Farmersville to a one-year term and Commissioner Duncan Webb appointed Linda Backlund of McKinney to a two-year term.
The county will not provide compensation for the ESD commissioners, but they could decide to set salaries for themselves once the district begins its first budget year Oct. 1, 2026.
The ESD board will be funded by a tax on rural property in the district, capped by state law at 10 cents per $100 valuation. The money will go for renegotiated contracts with city fire departments to make runs outside their city limits.
Since October 2013, the county has paid fire departments in 22 cities a total of $950,000 per year to provide emergency service to rural residents living outside the cities.
Melissa dropped their contract in 2024, and the cities of Princeton, McKinney, Wylie and Farmersville filed notice of termination effective Oct. 1 of 2025, saying the county was not paying them enough to make runs into the unincorporated county area.
However, McKinney decided to continue service to rural residents for another year and the Princeton City Council voted at its Nov. 10 meting to continue fire service until further notice.
Future possibilities for the ESD could include sales tax within the district or rural firehouses staffed by professional firefighters.
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