Important update on the creation of Milam County ESD No. 1

Readers, since my last editorial the Milam County EMS Advisory Committee has received consent from all five incorporated cities within Milam County - Rockdale, Thorndale, Milano, Cameron and Buckholts.  This consent will allow the voters of each municipality to vote for the creation of the ESD within their city limits and ETJ. Should the Milam County Commissioners Court approve to place the creation of the ESD on the ballot. 

Originally we had hoped to have the creation of the ESD placed on the November ballot this year. Unfortunately this will not be the case. There are very strict timelines and processes that must be adhered to for the creation of an ESD.

First a petition must be created and signed by 100 registered voters and property owners within Milam County. Once completed the petition must be accepted by the County Judge and filed with the County Clerk. This was done on July 5. 

Once accepted by the County Judge a public hearing must be set by the County Commissioners Court. The public hearing must be at least 78 days before the next uniform election date. There also must be a notice posted for the public hearing at least 21 days before the hearing. 

On July 11 the Milam County Commisioners Court scheduled the public hearing for Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. There were 28 days between the public hearing being scheduled and the date the meeting was scheduled for. There were also 92 days between the public hearing (Aug. 8) and the November ballot (Nov. 8). 

I received a call from Milam County Judge Steve Young on Aug. 2 informing me that the county had failed to post the public notice required for the public hearing to be held on Aug. 8. Due to the strict time constraints set out in Chapter 775 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. We will not be able to reschedule the public hearing and meet the criteria to place the ESD on the ballot in November.

When I first received the news about the notice not being posted I was disappointed. For the past three months myself and my team have put in countless hours away from home and our families working hard to get all the required documents in place. However after careful thought and deliberation we came to the conclusion that not having the ESD on the ballot in November may not be such a bad thing after all. 

Educating and informing the citizens of Milam County is the most important step in the creation of the ESD. This will allow us to spend more time educating the voters and addressing the more complex issues revolving around the ESD. 

All of the work that has been put into the ESD has not been wasted. The petition is still valid. The municipal consents will expire in six months but the hardest part of receiving the consent has already been completed. The public hearing will be rescheduled and we will get the ESD placed on the ballot for May of 2023. 

As always if you have any questions please call me at (979) 436-5723.

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