Special district governments now have a national home to advocate for broader state and federal recognition, collaborate with fellow districts on advocacy needs, and a network of trusted professional resources with the American Association of Special Districts (AASD).
A group of special district stakeholders founded AASD to fulfill the need for a strong association to address special districts’ broad hardships to access state and federal funding resources, raise awareness of the critical services districts provide to millions of Americans, and to close districts’ gaps in access to professional services for local governments.
AASD’s mission is simple: “To strengthen, advance, and unite the nation’s special districts through capacity building in states and across the nation; and facilitating a robust network of trusted professional service and governance resources.”
Click here to submit your interest to join as a Founding AASD Member
Introducing AASD
The Association aims to fulfill its mission through leading academic research and data analysis efforts to better understand the nation’s special district sector of local government – numbering more than 35,000 across all 50 states. The team of research, academic, and data leaders will publish white papers covering special districts’ public policy issues and posing best practices for stakeholders’ use to address them. AASD, through its institution, is eager to collaborate with state agencies and the U.S. Census Bureau on this important effort.
Further, the AASD Professional Network is established as a trusted platform for professional goods and services necessary to for local government services and compliance with state and federal laws. The AASD Professional Network is the backbone of professional expertise – including human resources, municipal finance, communications, legal counsel, and much more – to ensure special districts are equipped with resources for good governance.
Finally, AASD builds capacity for developing and existing special districts’ associations. The Association estimates more than 30 states have a sufficient number of diverse districts where an association could be developed to strengthen, unite, and advance all types of special districts on a wide range of state and federal advocacy needs. AASD hosts in-person regional “summits” to provide direct conference opportunities and online forums to meet the needs of districts, where they are.
Click here to learn more about AASD’s range of membership benefits.
AASD Leadership
Four special district stakeholders and two co-incorporators led AASD’s August 2024 establishment. Bylaws for the organization are pending; however there is expected to be 21 governing seats to best represent and reflect the variety of special districts’ services and stakeholders.
“Special districts have long-needed a supporting organization to increase recognition and understanding of the significant role they play on a national level,” said Sara Carroll, AASD Founding President and Owner of AZ Districts Solutions. “I am excited for the American Association of Special Districts’ work to unify and promote the strength of districts and to solve the crux of the major issues impacting districts’ ability to provide essential services here in Arizona and across the nation.”
“Special purpose governments provide nearly one-fifth of all local, non-education public services in this country – but the data is in need of improvement to tell the story of its true impact,” said Chris Knotz, AASD Founding Vice President and Founder of CommonGround AI. “The American Association of Special Districts is the forum for inquiring minds to investigate and pose data-driven solutions to better understand special districts as a force of American local government.”
“The special district is the most intimate form of government in America, with so many providing essential services in our rural communities,” said Carol Shrock, AASD Founding Secretary/Treasurer and Thunderbird Irrigation District President (Pinal County, Ariz.). “The American Association of Special Districts amplifies the voices of essential service providers in America’s rural communities and beyond, bringing much-needed governance resources to the elected officials entrusted with their taxpayer-funded services. I am excited and honored to be part of this positive, collaborative effort for all special districts.”
“I am thrilled and honored to join the American Association of Special Districts. There is much work to be done with regard to recognizing and defining ‘special district’ on not only a State level, but Federal, said Corey Torres, Founding Park & Recreation Board Member and District Manager of the Tehachapi Valley (Calif.) Recreation and Park District. “Special districts are vital to a community’s quality of life, infrastructure, and safety across the country, and I’m excited to help share the message and increase their opportunities.”
“America’s special districts need strong leadership to unite seemingly diverse, yet similar, special districts to address issues impacting all types of their services,” said Cole Arreola-Karr, AASD Prospective Chief Development and Operations Officer. “Through this multi-layer effort, AASD will ensure that America’s most common form of local government is no longer the most misunderstood. Together, we will empower district coalitions to best represent themselves in their state capitols and to elevate awareness of their services, and to deliver on special district’s true power in numbers.”
“Special Districts are so crucial to a thriving American infrastructure., yet these units of local government remain mostly opaque to anyone curious about them. It’s clear that thoughtful leadership and definition is needed at the national and state levels so that the districts and the communities they serve can more effectively cater to local needs,” from Evan Kersten, AASD Prospective Chief Research and Data Officer. “Articulating gaps in understanding and opportunity is where this journey begins. Empowering local leadership and communities to improve infrastructure and quality of life is how the journey persists.”
Special districts, stakeholders involved/interested in this local government research effort, professional service providers, special district associations, and other interested stakeholders are invited to join AASD on a free, trial basis with its establishment and as Founding Members.
Click here to learn more about becoming an AASD Founding Member
Submit your Interest to Join AASD as a Founding Member
A special district is a local unit of government established to provide a specific service, or set of public services, to a community. These local government units are political subdivisions of a State, with specified boundaries and significant budgetary autonomy or control.
What is a Special District?
All in all, special districts are special purpose units of local government exclusive of local education agencies, e.g. school districts, regional education districts, vocational development districts, and community college districts. This sector of local government is referred to in different fashions across states, referred to as “special purpose districts,” “special taxing districts,” “special purpose governmental entities,” “authorities,” “municipal authorities,” or simply “taxing district.”
The American Association of Special Districts is not-for-profit corporation registered in the State of Colorado. At this time, AASD is not affiliated with other national organizations providing broad federal advocacy services, or otherwise.
Connect with AASD
For more information, visit our website: www.americasdistricts.org, (please note the website is not yet optimized for mobile viewing), or email contact@americasdistricts.org.
Learn more about and submit your interest in AASD Founding Membership: www.americasdistricts.org/join