Special Districts in California Local Government

Abstract

HE term or unit of can be applied to any local government entity which is neither city, county, township, nor village. Ordinarily a special district has a resident population occupying a defined area, a legally authorized governing body, a separate legal identity, the power to provide certain public services and a substantial degree of autonomy, including power to raise at least a part of its own revenue.' These units have a variety of names: district, authority, ad hoc authority, and special district. In California, they are generally known by the last term. In power and legal status, they range from special assessment and improvement districts, which are adjuncts of cities and counties, to large metropolitan districts which in jurisdiction are usually larger than a city and frequently bigger than a county. Collectively, district activities include practically all municipal functions, as well as a number of predominantly rural governmental activities. The special district is a nationwide feature of local government in the United States. Furthermore, special districts are easily the most prevalent kind of local governmental unit and outnumber the combined total of all other governments. Special districts are most frequently found in the younger states and those of recent rapid growth. The older states of the Atlantic Coast and the South have relatively few. California uses the special district device more than most states. If school districts are excluded, California is exceeded only by Illinois in the number and total expenditures of special districts.2 As compared with its 304 cities and 57 counties, California has 4,437 special districts. Thus there are more than twelve times as many special districts as there are cities and counties combined.