What are special districts, and why are they vital?

Pam Marino here, a self-certified public meeting nerd. While attending meetings is probably not everybody’s thing, I find them fascinating—good thing, since I’ve attended hundreds in my career as a journalist.

Last month I was excited to attend my first cemetery district board meeting, the Castroville Cemetery District to be specific, for my cover story about special districts that’s out this week. It was a small meeting led by appointed residents who care about keeping the community’s beloved Castroville Public Cemetery in Moss Landing well cared for. 

In talking to friends as I reported the story, I found most didn’t really know what special districts are. 

Someone thought they’re school districts. (No.) Another person thought I was talking about a voting district within a city or the county. (Nope.) Others thought maybe Central Coast Community Energy, known as 3CE, or the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority were special districts. (Not even close—they’re joint powers authorities.)

Then what are special districts?

The short answer is they are created by voters of a specific geographic area to provide a specific service, or set of services, and are represented by a board or commission of residents who are either elected by the voters or appointed by a county board of supervisors. 

There are more than 2,000 special districts in California, 42 in Monterey County, delivering such essential services as water, fire protection, mosquito abatement, parks and more. Every single Monterey County resident is served by at least one special district.

The longer answer about what special districts are is in my story, including some of the challenges they face. Small districts sometimes struggle to hire professional staff or find qualified volunteers to serve as board members, as well as keep up with state laws regarding public transparency.

Special districts, while not well known by the public, are perhaps “the most fundamental form of government,” as Kate McKenna of the Local Agency Formation Commission of Monterey County told me.

They can be more accessible than city councils or the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, since the people who serve on the boards are often your neighbors, people you meet at the store or see regularly in the community.

In my reporting I found that the people who work for and volunteer with special districts often become their biggest cheerleaders. Their passion for this pure form of local government is infectious. I hope you’ll take some time to get to know them through the story.

Are you already in the know about special districts? What’s your experience or take, positive or negative?