RICHMOND, Texas – The City of Richmond says Fort Bend County owes roughly $700,000 for emergency services the city provided to unincorporated areas over the past two years, and city leaders on Tuesday adopted a resolution demanding clarity on who will pay going forward.
Richmond officials say the city has continued to respond to fire and emergency medical calls in areas outside its limits even though the county’s extra‑territorial jurisdiction agreement that allowed those services expired in early 2024. The city previously received about $350,000 a year from the county for those services, Fire Chief Mike Legoudas said.
“We were being paid $350,000 a year to provide services to those areas,” Legoudas said.
He and other Richmond officials say taxpayers are effectively subsidizing emergency coverage while negotiations drag on.
Alex BeMent, Richmond City Commissioner for Position 4, said the city’s entire operating budget is about $6.3 million and losing the county payments is unsustainable.
“We’ve been providing these fire protection services and EMS services on 911 calls routed through the city,” BeMent said. “That’s just not a sustainable situation to remain in.”
Fort Bend County officials acknowledge ongoing discussions but dispute Richmond’s accounting of how the gap should be covered. The county judge’s chief of staff told KPRC 2 that the county made what it considered an in‑kind contribution — a ladder truck valued at more than $1 million — and suggested that should offset some costs. Richmond officials say the truck was never agreed to as a form of payment by anyone with authority to do so, and they note the vehicle has not yet been built and won’t be ready for several years.
The Richmond City Commission adopted a resolution asking Fort Bend County to provide a clear plan for funding or a new interlocal agreement by Nov. 26. If no agreement is reached, city leaders warn the funding dispute could eventually affect response capacity for residents who rely on Richmond’s fire and EMS services.
Fort Bend County Judge KP George’s office declined further comment beyond saying negotiations are ongoing and that the judge could not comment at this time.
Richmond officials say they want a prompt, formal commitment so the city can budget for services without placing the burden on local taxpayers. The dispute highlights tensions that can arise when municipal emergency resources extend into neighboring unincorporated areas without an active funding agreement.