South Park Ambulance District is a Colorado Title 32, Special District (local government). The District was formed as a result of a vote of the residents and began operations on January 1, 1992.

The District is governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors. Board meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at 911 Castello Avenue in Fairplay.  The public is welcome to attend all meetings, but meetings may be rescheduled or cancelled on short notice. Please call (719) 836-2055 for more information.

Once formed, a special district is governed by an elected board of directors, in whom rests the authority to manage, control, and supervise all the business and affairs of the special district. The board is comprised of five members. The special district board has autonomous authority for governing the district within the scope of the district’s powers, just as the city council has for the governance of a municipality.

Special districts are subject to the same requirements as other local governments regarding open records, open meetings, conflicts of interest and other ethical requirements. Each district is subject to Colorado’s Local Government Budget Law and Local Government Audit Law, setting forth the requirements of budgeting, accounting and reporting. The district must hold a public hearing before adopting its annual budget, and a copy of the budget must be filed with the Division of Local Government.

Each district is required to have a certified public audit on an annual basis. The audit is to be filed with the State Auditor’s Office, the BOCC of the county having jurisdiction over the district’s service plan, and a copy on file for access by the public.

Even though a special district may be created to provide the financing mechanism for public infrastructure and services, special districts do not have any “land use” powers, such as planning, zoning, or subdivision approval. This leaves the key land use decisions with the city or county, which can assure that the developments are consistent with land use plans.