Emergency Services District's in Texas
Each ESD is governed by a board of five commissioners appointed by the county commissioners court, except in a handful of counties were ESD boards are elected. Commissioners serve staggered, two-year terms.
This arrangement links ESDs closely to county governments, even though ESDs are technically independent political subdivisions.
Each year, ESDs are required by law to file an audit with their county commissioners court. If they fail to do so within three months of a June 1 deadline, the president and treasurer of the ESD board are automatically removed from their offices. However, under an exception in the law, smaller ESDs may be allowed to file certified financial statements instead of an audit.
ESDs are also required by law to file an annual report with the Texas Department of Agriculture. ESDs are subject to few other external oversight requirements. They are governed by chapter 775 of the Texas Government Code.
By law, ESD boards must meet at least once a month. All meetings are subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act, which means that they are generally open to the public.