PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — Firefighters in Pflugerville say they could be defunded and that it could put public safety at risk.
Crews with Emergency Services District 2 said a petition presented to the city council aims to transfer sales tax money away from ESD 2, so they would have to lay off firefighters, which would increase response times.
“This petition is aimed at directly reducing funding that we receive to provide our services,” Fire Chief Nick Perkins said. “It can result in losing between $10 million and $15 million annually, up to a third of our budget. This would greatly reduce our ability to provide the excellent service that we have come to be known for.”
Pflugerville's city council met on Tuesday night to talk about the sales tax petition. Members are planning to communicate with other government agencies about the sales tax issue before taking more action. City council has until Feb. 17 to decide if it will go on a ballot.
This feud between the Pflugerville Fire Department and organization Pflugerville Residents for Responsible Taxation has been going on for years.
In 2020, ESD 2 called for more funding to keep providing ambulance services as the city grew.
In 2021, voters shot down a proposition that would have increased taxes to increase ESD 2's funding.
In 2022, ESD 2 continued to say it was never paid for ambulance services and needed almost $3 million to continue providing them. ESD 2 no longer provides ambulance service within the city limits, just in the county. Still, Pflugerville Residents for Responsible Taxation say they have more than enough in reserve, so the City has been hiring for-profit ambulance companies.