District Detective

Colorado special district glossary

Fiscal Health

Fiscal health refers to the overall financial condition of a special district, and District Detective assigns each scored district a fiscal health tier to help homeowners quickly assess potential risk.

The four tiers are GREEN (healthy finances with manageable debt and stable revenues), YELLOW (generally stable but with some indicators worth monitoring), ORANGE (elevated concern due to high debt levels, volatile revenues, or other stress factors), and RED (significant financial distress that may lead to mill levy increases or service reductions).

These tiers are calculated using a combination of factors including the district's debt-to-assessed-value ratio, revenue trends, mill levy levels relative to peers, and operational spending patterns.

Understanding a district's fiscal health tier can help you anticipate future tax increases and make more informed decisions when purchasing a home.

Related Terms

Debt-to-AV Ratio

The debt-to-assessed-value (Debt-to-AV) ratio measures how much outstanding debt a special district carries relative to the total assessed property value within its boundaries.

Mill Levy

A mill levy is a property tax rate used by local governments and special districts in Colorado to fund their operations and debt payments.

Metro District

A metropolitan district (metro district) is a type of special district in Colorado created by real estate developers to finance the infrastructure needed for new residential communities.

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