The pioneer spirit, accompanied by the beauty of the mountains, foothills and plains, is gloriously evident in Douglas County.  In 1861, the Colorado Territorial Session Laws created Douglas County, named after Stephen A. Douglas. Known as the "Little Giant," Stephen A. Douglas battled his own Democratic Party, as well as the Republican Abraham Lincoln, over issues of slavery, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and popular sovereignty. Douglas County originally stretched from the Rockies to the State of Kansas border.

Today, Douglas County is virtually the geographic center of Colorado.  The County is approximately 844 square miles, 71 square miles of which are permanently protected land through the Douglas County Open Space Program.  Recreational areas include more than 146,000 acres of Pike National Forest, Roxborough State Park, Castlewood Canyon State Park and the Chatfield State Recreation Area. 

There are five incorporated municipalities within the boundaries of Douglas County: Castle Pines North, Castle Rock, Larkspur, Lone Tree and Parker.  Each has its own mayor and provides services in cooperation with Douglas County. 

Population estimates for January 1, 2007 show Douglas County's population at 283,000 with a 4.5% annual growth rate. The median age of Douglas County residents is 33.7, and one third of the population is under the age of 19. Current data from the U.S. Census Bureau show Douglas County having the lowest share (4.6%) of seniors, persons aged 65 and over, of any County in the Denver Metro Area, yet seniors are expected to comprise nearly 20 percent of the population by the year 2030.

The County's strength, as the centerpiece of the Denver/Colorado Springs development corridor, is a perfect blend of quality lifestyle and business environment.  

Douglas County has plenty to offer to its residents and is quick to respond their demands. 

In a 2006 citizen survey, respondents assigned the highest policy priority (79%) to the development of an adequate long-term water supply.  In response to citizens' prioritization of water as the top policy issue, Douglas County hosted the first Annual Douglas County Water Summit in 2006, and is in the planning stages for the 2007 event. The County is working with its water suppliers in support of a long range plan for a sustainable water supply.

The second citizen priority (62%) was regional planning to manage growth and development in cooperation with other counties and cities. Specific to the citizen priority of growth management, Douglas County has land use Intergovernmental Agreements with Parker and Castle Rock, the County's two largest municipalities. Also, among the largest and most important undertakings by Douglas County in 2007 is the Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) update.

The Douglas County community has changed significantly since the adoption of the first CMP in 1984. The values, goals, and challenges that the Douglas County community faces today are significantly different from those of five, ten and twenty years ago. Many changes have taken place since 2001, when the current 2020 CMP was adopted:More than 26,000 new jobs have come to Douglas County;

• The population of Douglas County has grown by nearly 91,000;
• Light Rail, opened in November 2006, created a real transit option for Douglas County; and
• New programs and services such as the Douglas County Housing Partnership and funding through the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development with the Community Development Block Grant program that are now realities.

As part of the County's collaborative work with other communities, the five-year-old Partnership of Douglas County Governments is a notable example. Established in 2002, the Partnership includes the Towns ofCastle Rock and Parker, the City of Lone Tree, Douglas County, the Douglas County School District and Douglas County Libraries.  A nationally recognized model of collaborative statesmanship, the Partnership has successfully sidelined individual agendas in the interest of working collaboratively on issues, projects and programs for the greater good of Douglas County.  Outcomes of this collaborative effort include the creation of the Douglas County Housing Partnership and the Douglas County Youth Initiative.  The Partnership's latest initiative will examine current and future needs and potential locations for various regional facilities.

While the 2006 citizen survey gave high marks to Douglas County in a number of important categories, one particular request was for more opportunities to express views to County decision-makers about local issues and policies. 

Encouraged by the sentiment in this finding, for the past year Douglas County has been promoting the opportunities that do exist and creating additional means for citizen participation in governance. The County recognizes citizen desire for involvement as affirmation that citizens want to be part of a community where residents and the business community alike recognize their unique role, problem-solving with County Government, sharing responsibility for the decisions that impact their lives.

Communicating with such a diverse County includes not only the use of an award-winning Web site, but also the Emmy-award winning Douglas County Television Network. With three different stations, as well as a Web site on which television programming is available, the Network DC reaches approximately 50,000 individual cable television subscriber households, as well as the 88 percent of County households with in-home access to the Internet.   

The County's vision, "Setting the Standard of Excellence in Local Governance," is continually top of mind for County leadership. And while service delivery is one primary role for Douglas County government, it is only one aspect of a total problem-solving approach to governance that requires citizen engagement for total effectiveness.