Jan. 8—Some residents of West Odessa are rallying to bring full-time fire and EMS services to the area with the launch of a petition for an Emergency Services District (ESD). The deadline to sign is Jan. 9.
Currently, all EMS calls in the area are handled by the City of Odessa’s OFR.
Petitions are at T-Woods Grocery, 10204 W. 42nd St, and El Dorado Café, 0663 W. University Blvd. To have someone come to your home or workplace so you can sign the petition, or to learn more, contact Cathy Tavarez, Darrell Pando or Patti Kappauf. You can text or call 432-530-5214.
The petition, which seeks to put the formation of the ESD on the May 3 ballot, proposes a county-wide tax that would provide full-time fire and EMS services to county residents.
If passed, this measure would establish a tax, no higher than the maximum 10 cents per $100 of property value per Texas law. For a $100,000 home, this would amount to a maximum of $100 per year, or just $8.33 per month. Fire and EMS are separate petitions, and the tax applies to both of the services separately. This would ensure that fire and EMS stations are built where they are most needed across the county, with West Odessa currently being identified as the area of highest demand due to the volume of emergency calls received.
While the formation of the ESD would establish full-time fire and EMS coverage, it will not affect the existing volunteer fire department, which will continue to operate as it currently does, the release detailed.
The petition needs 150 signatures from registered property owners who live outside the Odessa city limits by Thursday evening, Jan. 9. Residents are encouraged to participate by signing the petition and supporting the initiative for better emergency services.