Emergency Services Districts Need Equitable Access to COVID-19 Relief
Wed, 09/23/2020 - 12:00am
Emergency services districts (ESDs) provide vital first response services to more than 8 million Texans. Around 300 of these local special district governments serve communities across the state with fire protection and emergency medical services – including the Hays County ESD 5, covering approximately 70,000 living within the boundaries of ESD 5. Yet, many emergency services districts, like Hays County ESD 5, have so far been unable to access the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, which was intended to assist local governments in their response to the extraordinary COVID-19 crisis. The consequences of ignoring this problem will negatively impact communities’ lifeline services.