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There are two types of special-purpose districts in the United States: school districts and special districts. This is a type of district
District

Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipality, or subdivisions of municipalities....
 differing from general-purpose districts like municipalities
Municipality

A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
, counties
County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
, etc., in that they only serve one or a few special purposes and do not provide a broad array of services. They are common in the United States of America, where more than 35,000 districts play an important role in providing government services in every U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
.






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There are two types of special-purpose districts in the United States: school districts and special districts. This is a type of district
District

Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipality, or subdivisions of municipalities....
 differing from general-purpose districts like municipalities
Municipality

A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
, counties
County

A county is a land area of Local government government within a larger state. A county may have city and towns within its area....
, etc., in that they only serve one or a few special purposes and do not provide a broad array of services. They are common in the United States of America, where more than 35,000 districts play an important role in providing government services in every U.S. state
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
. The U.S. Census Bureau keeps counts and data on these districts.

Special-purpose districts provide specialized services only to those persons who live within them. Special districts possess fiscal and administrative autonomy. They often are empowered to tax residents of the district, usually by a property tax
Property tax

Property tax, or millage tax, is an ad valorem tax that an owner is required to pay on the value of the property being taxed.There are three species or types of property: Land, Improvements to Land , and Personal ....
 but sometimes an excise or sales
Sales tax

A sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services. The tax is usually set as a percentage by the government charging the tax....
 tax
Tax

To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon an individual or Legal person by a state or the functional equivalent of a state.Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entity....
, for the services that they provide. They often cross the lines of towns, villages, and hamlets but less frequently cross city or county lines. Increasingly, however, regional special districts are being created that may serve a large portion of a state or portions of more than one state.

Districts are created by legislative action, court action, or public referendum and are governed by a board of directors, commissioners, supervisors, or the like. The board serves as a district board of directors
Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed persons who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. The body sometimes has a different name, such as board of trustees, board of governors, board of managers, or executive board....
 and may be appointed by public officials, appointed by private entities, popularly elected, or elected by benefited citizens (typically property owners). Sometimes, one or more public officials will serve ex officio on the board. Also, the board of a private entity may serve as the board of a special district (however, such a board could not be given the power to set a tax). The board serves primarily as a legislative board and appoints a chief executive for day to day operations and decision making and policy implementation. Most districts have employees, but some districts exist solely to raise funds by issuing bond
Bond (finance)

In finance, a bond is a debt security , in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed Maturity ....
s and/or by providing tax increment financing
Tax increment financing

Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a public financing method which has been used for redevelopment and community improvement projects in many countries including the United States for more than 50 years....
.

Districts typically have some corporate powers. They must be able to set their own budget without line item modification by another government. The authorizing legislation may give them the power to tax, issue bonds, or set fees; and/or the authorizing legislation may establish revenues via taxes or fees on behalf of the district; and/or the authorizing legislation may require contributions by participating local governments.

Special districts are sometimes created to provide fire protection
Fire department

A fire department is a public sector or private sector organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district....
, sewer
Sewer

Sewer may refer to:*A system for transporting sewage:**Sanitary sewer, a system of pipes used to transport human waste**Storm drain, a collection and transportation system for storm water...
 service, transit service
Public transport

Public transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire....
 or to manage water
Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
 resources, among many other possible functions. In many states in the USA, school district
School district

School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public elementary school and high school schools. They exist mostly in the United States, where they operate nearly all government-funded schools....
s operate the public school
Public school

The term public school has two distinct meanings depending on the location of usage:* in the United States, Australia and Canada: A school funded from tax revenue and most commonly administered to some degree by government or local government agencies....
s (as opposed to dependent school systems, which are dependent on the state or a local government for administrative and/or fiscal direction). All special-purpose districts are founded by some level of government in accordance with state law and exist in all states.

Types

  • Beach district
  • Community college district
    Community College District

    A community college district is an education Special-purpose district organized to define and serve the community in which a community college operates....
  • Community service district
  • Conservation district
    Conservation district

    Conservation districts are government entities that help control the use of landform and water in U.S. states and insular areas. There are more than 3,000 in the United States....
  • Electricity district
  • Emergency services district (emergency medical
    Emergency medical services

    Emergency medical services are a branch of Emergency services dedicated to providing out-of-hospital Acute and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency....
    , firefighting)
  • Fire protection district


  • Ferry District (Washington)


  • Health District
  • Highway district
    Highway district

    Highway Districts were areas in England and Wales united for the maintenance and repair of highways. They were first formed in 1862 and consisted of groupings of civil parishes in rural areas....
     (historic UK) or Road commission (Michigan)
  • Hospital district
  • Mosquito abatement district
  • Library district
  • Open space district
  • Parks and recreation district
  • Poor law union
    Poor Law Union

    A Poor Law Union was a unit used for History of local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. During this time, the administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of civil parish, which varied wildly in their financial resources and requirements....
  • Port authority
    Port authority

    In Canada and the United States a port authority is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body ...
  • Public utility district
    Public utility district

    A public utility district is a special-purpose district or other governmental jurisdiction that provides Public utility to the residents of that district....
  • Reclamation district
    Reclamation district

    Reclamation districts are a form of special-purpose districts in the United States which are responsible for reclaimining and/or maintaining land that is threatened by permanent or temporary flooding for agricultural, residential, Commerce, or Industry use....
  • Sanitary district
    Sanitary district

    Sanitary Districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:...
     (historic UK)
  • School district
    School district

    School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public elementary school and high school schools. They exist mostly in the United States, where they operate nearly all government-funded schools....
  • Transit district
    Transit district

    A transit district or transit authority is a special-purpose district organized as either a corporation chartered by statute, or a government agency, created for the purpose of providing public transportation within a specific region....
  • Vector control
    Vector control

    For vector control of induction motors, see Vector_control_vector control is any method to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds or arthropods, insects which transmit disease pathogens....
     district
  • Water district


Examples

  • Beach Cities Health District
    Beach Cities Health District

    Beach Cities Health District is a government agency dedicated to providing preventive health services to the community. Formed in 1955, it is the special-purpose district responsible for the improving the health of the citizens of Hermosa Beach, California, Manhattan Beach, California, and Redondo Beach, California....
    , Redondo Beach, California
  • District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
    District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

    The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, or WASA, provides drinking water, sewage treatment and stormwater management services in the Washington, D.C.....
    , Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C.

    Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
  • East Bay Municipal Utility District
    East Bay Municipal Utility District

    The East Bay Municipal Utility District , colloquially referred to as "East Bay Mud" or "ebmud" , provides water and sewage treatment for customers in portions of Alameda County, California and Contra Costa County, California in California, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay ....
    , California
    California

    California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
  • Fayette County Conservation District, Lexington, Kentucky
    Lexington, Kentucky

    Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the List of United States cities by population in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World," it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region....
  • Los Angeles Community College District
    Los Angeles Community College District

    The Los Angeles Community College District is the community college district serving Los Angeles, California and some of its neighboring cities....
    , California
  • Metro
    Metro (Oregon regional government)

    Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area....
    , Portland metropolitan area
    Portland metropolitan area

    The Portland-Vancouver, Oregon-Washington, Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S....
    , Oregon
    Oregon

    Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
  • Metropolitan School District of Perry Township
    Metropolitan School District of Perry Township

    The Metropolitan School District of Perry Township serves Perry Township, Marion County, Indiana, Marion County, Indiana, Indiana, United States, a southern part of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana....
    , Indianapolis, Indiana
    Indiana

    The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....
  • Metropolitan Board of Works
    Metropolitan Board of Works

    The Metropolitan Board of Works was the principal instrument of London-wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889....
    , London, England
  • Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
    Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

    The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the largest bulk water supplier for municipal use in the world. The name is usually shortened to the "Metropolitan Water District" or simply "MWD"....
  • Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
    Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

    The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is a sanitary district, a type of special-purpose district, chartered in northern Illinois....
  • Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority, Dayton, Ohio
    Dayton, Ohio

    Dayton is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 166,179 at the United States Census, 2000....
  • Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
    Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

    The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is a special-purpose district that manages over 50,000 acres of open space in 25 preserves in the San Francisco Bay Area....
    , California
  • , Mountain House, California
    Mountain House, California

    Mountain House is an Unincorporated area planned community near the foothills of the Diablo Range at the eastern base of the Altamont Pass, along the western boundary of San Joaquin County, California, United States, approximately northwest of the city of Tracy, California....
  • Nebraska Public Power District
    Nebraska Public Power District

    Nebraska Public Power District is the largest electric utility in the state of Nebraska, serving all or parts of 91 counties. It was formed on January 1, 1970, when Consumers Public Power District, Platte Valley Public Power and Irrigation District and Nebraska Public Power System merged to become Nebraska Public Power Di...
  • Pikes Peak Library District
    Pikes Peak Library District

    is a nationally recognized public library system serving a population of 508,000 in El Paso County, Colorado.Pikes Peak Library District has resources for , , adults, and ....
    , Colorado
  • Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
    Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the New York–New Jersey Port District....
  • Reedy Creek Improvement District
    Reedy Creek Improvement District

    The Reedy Creek Improvement District is the immediate governing jurisdiction for the land of the Walt Disney World Resort. As of the late 1990s, it comprised an area of within the outer limits of Orange County, Florida and Osceola County, Florida counties in Florida....
    , which includes the Walt Disney World Resort
    Walt Disney World Resort

    Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks; two water parks; twenty-three themed hotels; and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues....
     in Florida
    Florida

    Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
  • South Coast Air Quality Management District
    South Coast Air Quality Management District

    The South Coast Air Quality Management District , formed in 1976, is the Air pollution#Air quality agencies responsible mainly for regulating Air pollution dispersion terminology of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, California, Riverside County, California, and all of Orange County, California....
    , California
  • York Rural Sanitary District
    York Rural Sanitary District

    York was a rural sanitary district in Yorkshire, England until 1894. It was based on the York poor law union , and included parishes in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the North Riding of Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire, forming a ring around the city....
    , Yorkshire, England


See also

  • authority
    Authority

    In government, authority is often used interchangeably with the term "power ". However, their meanings differ: while "power" refers to the ability to achieve certain ends, "authority" refers to a claim of legitimacy , the justification and right to exercise that power....
  • business improvement district
    Business improvement district

    A business improvement district is a public-private partnership in which businesses in a defined area elect to pay an additional tax in order to fund improvements to the district's public realm and trading environment....
  • interstate compact
    Interstate compact

    An interstate compact is an agreement between two or more U.S. State of the United States of America. Compact Clause of the United States Constitution provides that "no state shall enter into an agreement or compact with another state" without the consent of Congress of the United States....
  • List of California Health Districts
    List of California Health Districts

    This List of California Health Districts is a list of the 78 health districts in existence in California....
  • Municipal Authority (Pennsylvania)
  • municipality
    Municipality

    A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them....
  • off-budget enterprise
    Off-budget enterprise

    Off-budget enterprises are a type of government in the United States, the United Kingdom and the EU. OBEs use public funds to further public or private interests....
  • political science
    Political science

    Political science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior....
  • quasi-autonomous non-government organisation
  • residential community association
    Residential Community Association

    Residential Community Associations are private, Non-profit organization set up by developers and paid for by contributions from residents of housing communities to provide them with public services, which are traditionally provided by local authority....