For most purposes, Douglas County acts through its Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The three-member board acts, by majority vote of a quorum present, to adopt ordinances in those limited areas for which specific authority has been given by the State Legislature, and to adopt resolutions to conduct all of its other business.
The BCC performs legislative, executive and quasi-judicial functions. The Board serves as the legislative, policy-making and administrative body governing the unincorporated areas of Douglas County.
The BCC appoints a County Administrator to carry out the policy directions of the Board and to supervise and coordinate the work of the staff in the departments that fall under direct control of the Board. With the exception of the County Attorney, the County Administrator will have line authority over all County divisions under the BCC.
The County Attorney is a constitutionally prescribed county office. By statute, the County Attorney is a position that is filled by appointment of the BCC. The County Attorney’s Office provides legal advice and representation for the BCC. The County Attorney, with the approval of the BCC, also advises and represents all other Douglas County elected officials, the County Administrator, department and division heads, and appointed commissions, boards and committees.
Other County Elected Officials
The other constitutional officers elected to four-year terms are the County Clerk and Recorder, County Assessor, County Treasurer, County Sheriff, County Coroner and County Surveyor. Constitutionally and statutorily, they are independent from each other and from the County Commissioners. Their powers and duties are prescribed by state statute. The County Commissioners have no direct authority over the other elected officials in the county except that commissioners approve budgets for all other elected officials’ departments.
2008 Demographic Update
- Population estimate for Jan. 1, 2008: 286,622.
- 90 percent of the population lives in urban areas which is 16 percent of the County land area.
- 10 percent of the population lives in rural areas which is 84 percent of the County land area.
- 39 percent of the population resides in the incorporated towns and cities.
- Parker and Castle Rock each have an estimated population of 45,000.
- Lone Tree and Castle Pines North each have an estimated population of 10,000.
- Larkspur has 245 residents.
- The housing growth rate has slowed considerably from 14 percent in 1996 to 2.6 percent in 2007.
- The average annual growth rate since 2000 is 6.6 percent.
- The number of jobs in Douglas County has been increasing faster than the population.
- Projections show the population growing to 315,297 by 2010, and to 444,784 in 2030 - this is an increase of 41 percent over 20 years.