John Wells City Council Ward 5 Luling TX

From John Wells….
A recent post by my opponent is filled with such a significant amount of misinformation that I felt it necessary to set the record straight….based on FACT.

My opponent states that the “City Council has eliminated our City EMS”. This is absolutely UNTRUE

FACT: Citizens of Caldwell County started a petition drive to have an Emergency Service District (ESD5) created in Caldwell County. They obtained the number of signatures, required by law, to have it placed on the election ballot and this was done. Throughout this process City Council had to remain neutral. By law Luling City Council had to approve placing the creation of ESD5 on the election ballot. The voters of Caldwell County voted in favor of the item.

This doesn’t mean that Luling City Council did away with our EMS. EMS staff and employees in Luling and Lockhart will transition to being managed and funded by the Board of ESD5. ESD5 is an independent entity and does not fall under oversight and management by the cities or county. It is run by a Board that the County Commissioners Court appoints which has representation from Luling, Lockhart and all precincts in the County.

As this transition process continues negotiations have been started with the ESD5 Board on whether they will rent, lease or purchase the EMS building and the purchase of the ambulances and equipment.

What does this mean to Luling? The City of Luling will no longer have to fund the EMS. Funding will be provided by ESD5, which has taxing authority to levy a tax rate of .10 per $100 property appraisal.

Annually we have a $500,000 to $600,000 deficit, of which the County pays one-half (due to non-payment for indigent care). This frees up funds for other budget items.

The bottom line is that Luling does NOT lose its emergency services support.

Luling City Council DID NOT ELIMINATE OUR EMS.

I will address rates/fees and property taxes in future posts.

I am John Wells and I am running for re-election as
your Ward 5 City Councilman. I have 18 years
experience on City Council and currently serve
as Mayor Pro Tem.

We are in a period of significant population growth,
new businesses and new housing. Census projections
show Luling will have a population of 8,000 by 2030.

Leadership and City Staff are focused on our
infrastructure to ensure that we can meet the demands
of this new growth. Listed below are some initiatives
that City leadership and City staff are focused on:

Electrical System Upgrades: The City has embarked
on a 5-year program ($300K per year) to upgrade
our electrical grid.
Water, Wastewater, & Storm water: An engineering
firm is evaluation our current systems and will
develop cost estimates. A consulting firm is working
to assist the City in applying for funding assistance
from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB).
Road Construction: Construction of the Industrial
Park road network is near completion. Funding is
being provided by an Economic Development
Administration (EDA) grant.
Residential: City Council and Staff are working with
developers on three proposed subdivisions.

TxDOT Projects:
1. A 4-way traffic light to replace the blinking light
at the intersection of 183N and HWY 86.
2. Widening of HWY 80S from Luling to Nixon. It
will include passing lanes similar to those on
HWY 183S to Gonzales. Overpass at IH10 and
HWY 80S will be widened to include a turn-lane.

I would appreciate your vote and support in the
upcoming election.

Recently there has been a lot of confusion on social media
regarding the railroad crossing. I would like to clarify the
issue.

FACT: The City of Luling has NO regulatory authority over
the railroad.

City leadership is well aware of the issue with the crossing.
Several years ago City leadership voted to request that the
Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) use left over
funds from the 130 toll road construction project to conduct
a study of alternatives for the Hwy 183 railroad crossing. That
has been accomplished and has been forwarded to TxDOT
for funding. Currently the City is waiting for a status update
as to when the project might be funded.

Another area of concern is that with ESD5 being approved
the City will lose their ambulances. NOT TRUE!!

FACT: The creation of ESD5 was approved by the voters
of Caldwell County, not just the City of Luling.

The creation of ESD5 doesn't mean the EMS service is
leaving Luling. EMS personnel are transferring from City
funding to ESD5 funding. Ambulances will still be
stationed in Luling, most likely in their current location.

The main point is that the City of Luling will still have
EMS and ambulance service.