Special Purpose District Information Sources

Contents

• Introduction
• Overview Information
• General Information About Special Purpose Districts in Washington State
• Publications of Washington State Special Purpose Districts
• Information About Special Purpose Districts in Other States

Introduction

This page provides bibliographic reference sources relating to special purpose districts in Washington state. It includes general references that are applicable to all special purpose districts, and some that are only applicable to Washington. Some of these references might also be of special historical interest to persons studying the evolution of Washington's special purpose districts. A section has been included for each of the following topics: publications of Washington state agencies, Washington special purpose district associations, and special district organizations and agencies from other states.

Overview Information

• Special Purpose Districts and Associations, Beyond MRSC
• The Political Economy of Special Purpose Government, by Kathryn A. Foster, Georgetown University Press, 1997 (Available through MRSC Library Loan)
• Census of Governments, U.S.Census Bureau - Prepared every five years; provides general census information on local governments in the United States; links are provided for 1992-2007; the 2012 link provides information on the process and what information is being collected
• Local Governments and Public School Systems by Type and State: 2007 (), U.S.Census Bureau

General Information About Special Purpose Districts in Washington State

• A Local Government By Any Other Name(), by Hugh Spitzer, Proceedings of the Washington State Municipal Attorneys, Fall 2009 - The paper reviews the categories that Washington legislators and  the Washington State Supreme Court have used to classify and describe local government units. It also describes how the large array of  classifications—and the lack of consistent interpretation and use of those labels—leads to confusion and unnecessary litigation.
• Special Districts , Part III in The Closest Governments to the People: A Complete Reference Guide to Local Government in Washington State, by Steve Lundin, Washington State University Division of Governmental Studies and Services, 2007 (Available through MRSC Library Loan)
• Special Districts in the State of Washington, by Ruth Ittner, Report No. 150, Seattle: University of Washington, Bureau of Government Research and Services, 1963 - Historical information - Statutes and some statistical information (Available through MRSC Library Loan)
• Special Purpose Districts in Washington State (), Report No. 58, Municipal Research and Services Center, August 2003
• Special Purpose District Financial Services (), Snohomish County Finance Department, Issue Paper, May 2002
• County Treasurer's Procedures Manual, Washington State Association of County Treasurers, 2002 (Available through MRSC Library Loan)
• Washington State Auditor's Office
  • Audit Report Search
  • Newly Created Entities (), Memo to Chief Financial Officers and County Auditors, December 19, 2005
  • Special Purpose District Audit Assessment () - BARS Reporting Template, Schedule 22 for local governments with annual revenues that are usually less than $200,000 - Sample only - Check with Auditor's Office for current form
• Washington State Department of Revenue
  • Ballot Measure Requirements for Voted Property Tax Levies
  • County Assessors Manual (), Property Tax Division
  • Property Tax Levies Operations Manual (), Property Tax Division - Reference source for special district property tax levies
  • Tax Code Area Statement - List of tax code areas by county
  • Tax Code Area Boundaries- Property Tax GIS System - The boundaries are updated annually. All boundary files are shapefile format and require appropriate GIS software (such as ArcExplorer, ArcView, or ArcGIS) to view.
• Washington State Legislative Budget Committee Review of Special Purpose Districts: A Report to the Washington State Legislature (), Report No. 88-3, August 5, 1988
• Washington State Local Governance Study Commission, Final Report, January 1988
  • A History of Washington's Local Governments Volume 1 ()
  • The Quiet Crisis in Local Government Volume 2 ()
  • A History of Washington's Local Governments: Washington State Local Governance Study Commission Report (Update) (), prepared by Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington for Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development, October 2007

Publications of Washington State Special Purpose Districts

Fire Protection Districts and Regional Fire Authority

• Fire District Resources Pamphlets and Helps, Washington Fire Commissioners Association
• Regional Fire Authority: Implementation Guide for Fire Departments in Washington State (), jointly developed by the Washington Fire Chiefs (WFC) and the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters (WSCF), September 2008

Hospital Districts

• Washington State Hospital Association
  • AWPHD Legal Guide, produced in cooperation with Washington State Hospital Association, University of School Medicine, and Foster Pepper & Shefelman
  • Publications and Resources
  • Commissioner Resources

Irrigation Districts

• Washington State Water Resource Association
• WSWRA  Members - List of  member irrigation districts;  also shows the size of the district in acres and Web links, if available
• Guidelines For Preparation of Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plans (), AWF Work Group, Washington State Conservation Commission, May 2001 -

Library Districts

• Washington State Library Public Library Trustee Summary Manual (), revised 2002

Port Districts

• Washington Public Port Association
  • Knowing the Waters: Basic Legal Guidelines for Port District Officials (), by Robert F. Hauth, Washington Public Ports Association, updated 2007
  • Commissioner Resource Guide (), March 2010
  • Resource Tools, Publications
  • History of Ports Formation
  • Port Directory - See left column in all pages

School Districts

• Organization and Financing of Washington Public Schools, prepared by T.J. Kelly, Associate Director, School Apportionment, Financial Services and Finance Reform, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, April 2011
• School District Revenues and Expenditures, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction - A data spreadsheet maintained by OSPI School Apportionment and Financial Services
• Washington State School Districts: Maps and Websites, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Washington State School Board Directors Association Resources - Includes links to publications, webinars, and training materials

Information About Special Purpose Districts in Other States

• California
  • Special District Resources, California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions (CALAFCO)
  • The Metamorphasis of Special Districts: Current Methods for Consolidation, Dissolution, Subsidiary District Formation and Merger (), by Clark A. Alsop, Paula C. P. de Sousa, and Greta Proctor, CALAFCO White Paper, California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions, August 2008
  • Special Districts: Relics of the Past or Resources for the Future?, California, Little Hoover Commission, 2000
  • What's So Special About Special Districts? A Citizen's Guide to Special Districts in California (), California Senate Local Government Committee, 3rd edition, 2002
  • About Special Districts in California - California State Government Guide to Government from the League of Women Voters of California
  • California Special Districts Association
• Colorado Special District Association
• Florida
  • Special District Information Program, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Community Planning and Development
  • Florida Special District Handbook, prepared by the Special District Information Program, Community Planning and Development, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, updated October 2011
  • Review of Special Districts: A Whitepaper (), Florida House of Representatives, Committee on Urban and Local Affairs, January 2008
  • Florida Association of Special Districts
• Oregon Special Districts Association
  • Publications
• Utah Association of Special Districts
• South Carolina Association of Special Purpose Districts

Related MRSC Resources
MRSC Index - Special Purpose Districts - General

Need more information?

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