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Elgin and its extraterritorial jurisdiction will formally join Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 3 after voters overwhelmingly approved annexation during the Nov. 5 election.
The ESD Board of Commissioners canvassed and adopted the results Nov. 14, completing the process and bringing Elgin fully into the countywide EMS system. Commissioner Keith Simpson announced the milestone to City Council, highlighting that residents will now be covered under the PHI Air Medical membership program paid for by the district.
“I’d like to officially welcome the city of Elgin and its ETJ into the EMS district,” Simpson said. “If you have to, God forbid, have an emergency that requires you to be flown into a hospital, there will be no out-ofpocket expenses for you.”
ESD Executive Director Allen Johnson said the move provides needed stability as the district transitions to a fully ESD-operated EMS.
He said the district has added 15 new ambulances, with deliveries expected to begin in about 10 months, and plans to begin EMS hiring in the spring.
“We now have certainty as we plan for the transition to an ESD-operated EMS,” Johnson said.
Acadian Ambulance will continue providing service under district oversight until the transition is complete, district officials said.
“We have a good working relationship with Acadian,” Johnson said. “Together we are monitoring and adjusting operations.”
Residents will begin accruing ESD taxes in January, though payments will not be due until October 2026.
“We look forward to rolling our sleeves up and working hard to provide the best EMS system that we can in Bastrop County,” Simpson said.
Residents interested in district employment can sign up for updates at bastropesd3.org.
