Special Districts: Title 32, Article 1

Colorado law limits the types of services that county governments can provide to residents. Districts are created to fill the gaps that may exist in the services counties provide and the services the residents may desire. The majority of districts draw their boundaries in unincorporated county land, but residents of a municipality may be included in one or more districts.

As political subdivisions of the State of Colorado, special districts are required to submit a number of required filings to various state agencies throughout the year. These filings are primarily financial but also include election results, lists of boards of directors, and others.

 What types of Special Districts are there? 

• Metropolitan districts
• Fire protection districts
• Ambulance districts
• Health service districts
• Mental health districts
• Water districts
• Sanitation districts
• Park and recreation districts
• Health assurance districts
• Tunnel districts

What are the benefits of Special Districts?

• They can provide more services than a municipality or county 
• They can operate a single mission for public use, such as water, fire services, or libraries