What is a special district?

So what exactly are special districts?

In Utah, they’re units of government focused on day-to-day services such as water conservation, animal control and cemetery maintenance. They’re also instrumental in monitoring legislation that affects our services, something made possible through the Utah Association of Special Districts.

And we know they come with a long history: the earliest special district dates back to the late 1700s and provided prison services. But did you know there are many other fascinating anecdotes about Utah special districts? Consider the following facts:

• Special service districts are independent governmental entities that work in conjunction with the cities and counties that create them to raise the quality of life in Utah. Rather than acting as a “shadow government,” they employ professionals who are experts in their field and who share their knowledge to meet specific needs.
• Utah has about 400 local and special districts, which is quite substantial when you stop to think about it. In coming months, we hope to let you know more about what they’re doing for you, day in and day out.
• Want to learn more about which special districts are active in your region? Go to our website uasd.org for a directory. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

What does that mean to you? We’ve got your back!