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Metropolitan districts are local governments that finance public improvements and provide services to promote the health, safety, prosperity, security, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the districts and the people of the state of Colorado. Metropolitan districts fill the gaps that may exist in services that other local governments will not provide, and the services residents may desire. The Willow Trace Metropolitan District (the “District”) provides the following improvements and services: streets, traffic and safety controls, and parks and recreation. 

Pursuant to the District’s First Amended Service Plan, approved by the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners on February 20, 2001, as amended on June 5, 2001 ( the “Service Plan”), the District is authorized to incur $11,910,000 of debt and impose a maximum debt mill levy of 30 mills subject to adjustment, as defined in the Service Plan, for repayment of such debt. The Service Plan authorizes the repayment of debt from the following sources: ad valorem taxes, rates, tolls, fees, and charges.

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) governs the District. Board members are elected for four-year terms. During election years, the District must provide the Call for Nominations to the electors of the District noting the Board seats up for election. If an owner or resident would like to run for a Board seat up for election, he or she must submit a self-nomination form to the Designated Election Official by the applicable deadline as provided in the Call for Nominations. When a vacancy occurs on the Board between elections, an owner or resident may contact the District and request to submit a letter of interest to be appointed to Board. When an individual is appointed to the Board, the term for that appointment runs to the next regular election. 

To qualify as a director of a district, a person must be an “eligible elector” which is defined as a registered voter of Colorado and either: (1) a resident of the District, or (2) the owner (or the spouse or civil union partner of the owner) of taxable real or personal property located within the District. A person who is under contract to purchase taxable property and is obligated to pay taxes prior to closing is also considered an “owner.”

The District files its annual report for the prior year with Arapahoe County.

Special District Association

The Special District Association of Colorado (SDA) is a statewide membership organization created in 1975 to service the interests of the special district form of local government in Colorado.  You can search for annual transparency notices on this website.

Colorado Department of Local Affairs

Active Colorado Local Governments - This is a website where you can search by the name of the metropolitan district to find information such as budgets, audits, director information and terms, election materials, maps, and service plans.

Metro District Education Coalition

MDEC serves as a resource on how metropolitan districts work.

Colorado Department of Local Affairs

This is a website where you can find metropolitan district election forms, such as self-nomination forms.

Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA)

EMMA is designated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as the official source for municipal securities data and disclosure documents.  This is a website where you can search for information regarding debt issued by a metropolitan district.

Office of the State Auditor

This is a website where you can search for audits or audit exemptions filed by a metropolitan district.  Unless the metropolitan district is exempt (for example, the metropolitan district is inactive or has only nominal activity before development has commenced), the metropolitan district must undergo an annual financial audit by an independent auditor.