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Oct. 1 takeover brings expanded ambulance coverage, new equipment as demand grows

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Editor's note: to see this story as it appears in Community Impact's October print edition.

Bastrop County residents calling 911 are now served by a system operated directly by Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 3.

What's happening?

On Oct. 1, the district took over from contractor Acadian Ambulance, completing a transition that began after voters created ESD No. 3 in 2024.

"The transition went very smooth overall," ESD No. 3 Executive Director Allen Johnson said. "We have a great team, and they invested a lot of time and effort to be ready."

Johnson said the district was needed to expand ambulance coverage, improve response times and establish dedicated funding for a system that operated with just four ambulances covering the 900-square-mile county.

Bastrop ESD No. 3 Medical Director Dr. Zach Mauro said the new model brings updated protocols and more units to get help to patients faster.

What's new?

Johnson said the fleet is now larger, with bigger and better-equipped ambulances.

The EMS expansion addresses problems identified before ESD No. 3 was formed. In 2024, paramedic Preston McGrew, one of three medics who led the initiative, told Community Impact the county had outgrown its four-ambulance setup, which contributed to longer response times.

ESD No. 3 Board President James “Scooter” Green said at the time the goal was a system that “not only catches up with the current county needs, but scales as the county grows.”

In addition to more ambulances and a quicker response time, the tools crews have access to on the units were also upgraded.

Don Rose, ESD No. 3 director of clinical services, said each ambulance carries ventilators, IV pumps, heart monitors and more medications for sepsis, open fractures, low blood pressure and pain. EMS supervisors also carry ultrasound equipment, and video laryngoscopes can aid with airway management.

Nichole Kuhlmann, ESD No. 3 communications center manager, said the biggest change for residents is that medical insurance payments are considered payment in full.

How it's been going

The takeover follows Acadian’s June 2025-September 2026 contract, when response-time compliance sometimes fell below the 90% benchmark—resulting in fines.

Ernesto Rodriguez, ESD No. 3 director of data analytics, said money Acadian set aside for fines helped fund a third peak-load ambulance added in January that provided “much-needed system capacity.”

The bottom line

Most homeowners won't notice a difference in their ESD No. 3 property tax bills after officials adopted a Fiscal Year 2026-27 tax rate of $0.10 per $100 of taxable value—the same rate as last year.

The average homestead valued at $308,252 will generate a $308.25 tax bill—about nine cents more than last year due to a $90 increase in the average taxable property value.

What's next?

Kelly Curry, director of infrastructure and procurement, said the district will begin evaluating for future growth after the beginning of the year. That planning comes as projections for EMS demand continue to rise.

BASTROP, Texas — Several areas of Bastrop remain under a boil water notice, which the Bastrop Water Control and Inspection District (WCID) #2 is actively working to fix.

Bastrop resident Mariah Moore says the boil water notice has been inconvenient with two small children.

"With a one-year-old and a three-year old, you know, that are constantly busy and constantly dirty, it's been a little struggle," she said.

On top of the boil water notice, Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 2 has asked residents to limit water usage under Stage 4 of their drought contingency plan.

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"We have been told we can't take showers. Brushing our teeth, we've got to limit the water...using the bathroom, we have to be smart with when we flush," said Mariah's brother, Alexander Moore.

Bastrop WCID said several water units were impacted after a break in one of the main water lines was discovered before sunrise on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

"There was just a lot of catastrophic failures that happened in a perfect storm of the water world that caused us to have a catastrophic failure for the entire system, basically," said Paul Hightower, General Manager at Bastrop WCID.

After the first leak was discovered, crews accidentally clipped a wire at a water station while making repairs, causing a well motor to blow out.

Then, a second leak was discovered in addition to the first.

"When you have an aging system as we do, it just sometimes can really catch up to you quick, fast and in a hurry, and that's what happened," said Hightower.

Hightower estimates that between 1,200 and 1300 residents have been impacted by low water pressure and the boil water notice, but he expects to have more updates soon.

"We've pulled all of our necessary samples that are required by the state. They've been submitted to the lab," he said. "We should have the results first thing in the morning."

Until the notice is lifted, affected residents are urged to boil all water for two minutes at a vigorous rolling boil before consumption.

Full details of the boil water notice and updates are being posted to the Bastrop County Water Control website.

Glass, Hammer were asked questions on growth, transportation and accessibility to constituents

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Editor's note: This story has been updated with David Glass's responses and headshot, which were submitted after press deadline.

Republican incumbent David Glass and write-in candidate Kat Hammer will face off in the Nov. 3 election for Bastrop County Commissioners Court, Precinct 4.

Dates to know

Voter registration is open through Oct. 5 for the November elections.

Other key dates include:

How it works

's goal with election Q&As is to provide a side-by-side, equitable resource for Bastrop County voters to review candidates' perspectives before they head to the polls.

Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents.

to read Community Impact's Q&A with Bastrop County Judge candidates Gregory Klaus and Dock Jackson.

Candidate Q&A

If elected, what would be your three highest priorities for Bastrop County Precinct 4?

My three highest priorities would be maintaining and improving Precinct 4 roads and drainage; responsibly guiding economic and residential growth to benefit constituents, Bastrop County, and local municipalities; expanding animal shelter services, facilities, and funding. Property has been purchased for a new shelter facility with 5 million dollars added to the CIP budget for construction, and a workforce training facility has been negotiated through an economic development project.

Precinct 4 maintains more than 200 miles of roads and continued growth around Elgin and nearby rural communities. Which road and drainage improvements should be prioritized, and how would you fund them?

Prioritize roads based on condition, traffic volume, safety, and drainage deficiencies. Funding could combine the existing Road and Bridge budget, state and federal grants, and developer-related funding where applicable. We are currently updating multiple intersection stop conditions due to safety concerns and implementing new maintenance processes to reduce costs.

What steps would you take to remain accessible to Precinct 4 residents and represent their priorities on Commissioners Court?

My office will remain accessible by answering/returning phone calls and emails in a timely manner. To increase transparency and communication with the public, I will provide a monthly “Coffee with Your Commissioner” for residents to ask questions, discuss projects, and share concerns. I also plan to provide regular updates on county projects and Commissioners Court items through a “Commissioner’s Corner” article in local newspapers and social media.

If elected, what would be your three highest priorities for Bastrop County Precinct 4?

Continue to advocate, fight against data centers entering our community. Improve communication with constituents and ensure that all interested community members have opportunity to participate in local government. Build relationships with county department heads and county staff, current commissioners in Bastrop and other counties. Listen to all constituents.

Precinct 4 maintains more than 200 miles of roads and continued growth around Elgin and nearby rural communities. Which road and drainage improvements should be prioritized, and how would you fund them?

This will require a review of existing data- history of flooding, anticipated areas of growth, issues reported, public safety, etc. Priorities should be established through data and transparency. Evaluation of current budget and funding, reviewing assessments and petition projects, and making choices based on data, need, and community involvement.

What steps would you take to remain accessible to Precinct 4 residents and represent their priorities on Commissioners Court?

I intend to have quarterly town hall meetings, regular office hours, virtual evening hours utilizing social media, attending community meetings, creating a newsletter. When elected, the position of County Commissioner will be my only commitment outside of volunteering in our community. Working with all stakeholders is my priority.