PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — Things are heating up in the battle over Prop A in Pflugerville. It has to do with a half-percent sales tax and whether or not voters want to keep it.
Emergency Services District Two (ESD 2), otherwise known as the Pflugerville Fire Department, says it would have to close fire stations and lay off firefighters if the proposition passes.
“[Passing] this would defund the fire department. This would reduce our budget by approximately 40%,” Chief Nick Perkins previously told KXAN. “That would result in us having to eliminate 130 positions, we’d have to lay off over 80 firefighters. Without having those firefighters we would have to close at least three fire stations.”
The group calling for the reduction, known as Pflugerville Residents for Responsible Taxation (PFRRT), said it wants to bring EMS services back to the county as opposed to paying for private ambulances.
We are now hearing from the city’s mayor on the changes.
“Look at the ballot issue very carefully,” Pflugerville Mayor Victor Gonzales said. He recently joined the “Pflugerville on Fire” podcast talking about Prop A and its potential impact.
“The city doesn’t have a real plan at this point,” Gonzales said. “I think they’ve chewed on a couple ideas, but in terms of losing those services, those basic life support services and first responders, I think [voting yes on Prop A] would be a mistake.”
David Rogers is the spokesperson for PFRRT. He is also a member of Pflugerville city council, representing Place 6.
“[ESD 2] is screaming like the sky is falling when they have 100% of their annual budget in the bank,” Rogers said.
PFRRT argues ESD 2 stopped providing ambulance services but still collects the sales tax for it.
“If somebody was doing a job for you and they said, ‘I’m going to quit but I want you to keep paying me,’ what do you think a reasonable response is to that demand?” Rogers argued.
“It sounds like you don’t think the current EMS is all that great so you’re envisioning a better one,” Gonzales said, in response to the group’s campaign, in the podcast. “Unfortunately, some of those individuals voted for the less-than-better EMS.”
The mayor also said the city does not “have the resources to build its own fire department.”
“My position is why fix something that’s not broke (sic)?” the mayor said.
“Just because Chicken Little claims the sky is falling, doesn’t mean it is. And frankly, I don’t believe [ESD 2],” Rogers said.
