County Government 101
Douglas County is divided into this many commissioner districts.
What are three districts?
This elected official determines the value of property for tax purposes but does not set the tax rate.
Who is the County Assessor?
This appointed citizen board reviews land-use applications and makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on matters such as zoning and development.
What is the Planning Commission.
Name three ways Douglas County communicates directly with residents.
Possible responses include the County website, email newsletters, social media, town halls, livestreams, public meetings, news releases and The Neighbor Magazine.
Douglas County currently has approximately this many residents.
What is 400,000?
This vehicle-intervention technology deploys a reinforced tether from the front of a Douglas County Sherriff's patrol vehicle to entangle the rear wheel of a fleeing vehicle, helping deputies avoid dangerous high-speed pursuits.
What is the Grappler?
Public Safety, Transportation, Economic Foundations, Environmental Sustainability, Health and Human Services, and County Services are the six priorities of the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners
What is false? "Environmental Sustainability” is not a named priority; Historic and Natural Resources is the correct priority.
This term describes the rate applied to a property's assessed value to calculate property taxes.
What is a mill levy?
True or false: Douglas County maintains every road located within the county's geographic boundaries.
What is false? Municipalities, the state, metro districts, HOAs and private entities may maintain certain roads.
This County program connects people experiencing homelessness with services while addressing community impacts.
What is HEART?
Name 5 of the municipalities located entirely or partially within Douglas County.
Potential answer: Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Larkspur, Lone Tree and Parker, plus portions of Aurora and Littleton.
This 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office program offers eligible participants an alternative to prosecution by using counseling, case management and restorative justice practices.
What is the Diversion Counseling Program?
Unlike regular agenda items, which are presented and discussed individually, items on this portion of a Board business meeting are typically routine and approved together in a single vote unless an item is pulled.
What is the consent agenda?
True or false: Every dollar on a resident's property tax bill goes to Douglas County Government.
What is false? Property taxes may support school districts, fire districts, municipalities, metro districts and other taxing entities.
Before development can proceed, a water provider generally supplies this commitment indicating it can serve the proposed project.
What is a will-serve commitment or letter?
This Douglas County department conducts safety inspections of food trucks and other mobile food establishments.
What is the Douglas County Health Department.
Douglas County was created in this year, the same year the Colorado Territory was established.
What is 1861?
For the 2026–27 school year, Douglas County approved nearly $7.93 million to fund this many School Resource Officers, along with three sergeants, two corporals and one therapy dog.
What is 37 School Resource Officers?
Name at least four independently elected Douglas County offices.
What are the Assessor, Clerk and Recorder, Commissioners, Coroner, Sheriff, Surveyor, District Attorney and Treasurer?
This is the total amount of Douglas County’s balanced 2026 adopted budget.
What is $650.8 million?
This dedicated County fund helps pay for transportation capacity, safety and roadway improvements.
What is the Road Sales and Use Tax Fund, or Fund 230?
This County advisory group gives local young people a voice in government and opportunities to address issues affecting their peers and community.
What is the Douglas County Youth Commission?
Douglas County’s Open Space and Natural Resources program manages approximately this many acres of public land.
What is 65,000 acres?
This distinctive alternating tone from patrol vehicles means an Evacuation Order has been issued and residents should leave the area immediately.
What is Hi-Lo Siren?
With the exception of employees who work within independently elected offices, most Douglas County staff report through this appointed official rather than directly to the Board of County Commissioners.
Who is the County Manager?
At $225.1 million, this County priority represents approximately 42% of Douglas County’s total budget.
What is Transportation?
Developed with input from residents and local stakeholders, this long-range plan guides Douglas County’s investments in roads, trails, transit and other transportation improvements over the next 25 years.
What is the 2050 Transportation Plan?
What is the cost of each indivudual copy of the Neighbor Magazine?
What is 47 cents? (Writing, editing, photography and design were completed by in-house staff. The total cost per issue is the hard costs of printing and mailing.)
This Castle Rock butcher-turned-banker helped bring municipal electricity and a sewer system to the town and later donated water rights from 204 acres of his ranch.
Who was Philip S. Miller?
Between 2018 and August 2026, how many missions has the County's heliatak helicopter been on?
What is 366?