What do you know about the history of Special Districts in Colorado? SDA is interested and is collecting the history as a way of understanding the “why’s and wherefore’s” surrounding this useful tool for Colorado.

Thought we’d check out the internet and see what it had to report and we found a surprising bit of information:

Special-purpose districts or special district governments in the United States are independent governmental units that exist separately from, and with substantial administrative and fiscal independence from, general purpose local governments such as county, municipal, and township governments. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, the term special district governments exclude school districts.

The search went on to reveal, Special districts in the United States follow the English custom. The earliest known general law in England authorizing special purpose authorities was the Statute of Sewers of 1532. Single purpose authorities created by individual charters also existed at the time. However, the early authorities were temporary and unconnected to local government structure. The first laws authorizing permanent authorities connected to local governments were the Incorporated Guardians of the Poor, which were created by special acts in the 1600s. Turnpike trusts were an early and popular special purpose authority in England.

There is little information available on the earliest special districts in the United States. It is known that park districts existed in the 1700s. Toll road and canal corporations existed in the 1800s. The first general statute authorizing irrigation districts was adopted by California in 1887. The U.S. Census Bureau began identifying and collecting data on special districts in 1942. “Services once supplied by cities are increasingly supplied by special districts.”

The state of California leads the nation in the number of special districts with Illinois close behind. State counts of their special districts may differ from the federal count because the states may have different definitions of a special district than the U.S. Census Bureau.

Special district governments provide specific services that are typically not provided by general-purpose governments. The services they provide range from basic needs such as hospitals, sewerage, and fire protection to smaller necessities such as mosquito abatement and upkeep of cemeteries. Most special districts provide only a single service, with the exception of a metropolitan district. In 2007, the U.S. had more than 37,000 special district governments.

SDA is currently working on this in-depth research project, examining the history of special districts in Colorado, and we’d like to hear from you. The research will be finalized and published in September 2010.
The report will include information about:

• The catalyst for the creation of legislation in 1949
• How districts have changed since their inception
• Some of the challenges and successes of special districts
• Who were some of the original special districts?
• Who have been the key special district leaders?
• How has the legal landscape for special districts changed?

If your district has any historical information that you would like to contribute to this project, please contact Annie Skinner at the SDA office (303) 863-1733 or annie@sdaco.org.