Editing Castle Rock, Colorado (section)

==Government and politics==
[[Image:Castle Rock, CO, Town Hall IMG 5204.JPG|thumb|200px|Castle Rock Town Hall (2010)]]
Castle Rock is a [[Colorado municipalities#Home rule municipality|home-rule municipality]] with a [[Council–manager government|council–manager]] form of government. The town's governing body is the town council, made up of seven members including the mayor and mayor pro-tem.<ref name="crgov.com">{{Cite web|url=https://crgov.com/1936/Town-Council|title=Town Council {{!}} Castle Rock, CO - Official Website|website=crgov.com|access-date=September 4, 2019}}</ref> Each councilmember is elected to represent an election district, and the mayor is elected to represent the town at large.<ref name="crgov.com"/> One member, appointed by the council, serves as the mayor pro-tem.<ref name="Municode Library">{{Cite web|url=https://library.municode.com/co/castle_rock/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=CHTOCAROCO_ARTIITOCO_S2-5MA|title=Municode Library|website=library.municode.com|access-date=September 4, 2019}}</ref> Castle Rock voters approved a change to the town charter that authorized an at-large mayor in 2017.

The mayor presides over council meetings and casts one vote, like other councilmembers.<ref name="Municode Library"/> The council sets policy for the town, adopts ordinances, approves the town budget, makes major land-use decisions, and appoints key town government staff, including the [[city manager|town manager]], [[city attorney|town attorney]], municipal judge, and members of town boards and commissions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Town Government |publisher=Town of Castle Rock |url=http://crgov.com/ |access-date=April 13, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414224849/http://www.crgov.com/ |archive-date=April 14, 2016}}</ref>

The town manager supervises all departments, prepares and implements the town budget, and works with the council to develop policies and propose new plans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Town Manager's Office |publisher=Town of Castle Rock |url=http://www.crgov.com/1939/Town-Manager |access-date=April 13, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417215657/http://crgov.com/1939/Town-Manager |archive-date=April 17, 2016}}</ref>

Tax revenues are used to provide general government, fire, police, parks maintenance and programs, street maintenance and operations, support for recreation, and planning and code enforcement services. The town also provides development services, golf, water, and sewer services to residents through self-supporting enterprise funds. The average annual municipal property tax bill of a Castle Rock resident is $40.66.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your Tax Dollars at Work |url=https://www.crgov.com/1979/Property-Tax-Calculator |website=Town of Castle Rock, Colorado |access-date=February 9, 2020}}</ref> That is in addition to property taxes assessed by Douglas County and other entities.

As the [[county seat]], Castle Rock is the administrative center of Douglas County. The county courthouse, the Douglas County Justice Center, is north of downtown, and most departments of the county government base their operations in the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Locations |publisher=Douglas County Government |url=http://www.douglas.co.us/government/our-locations/ |access-date=October 25, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027185320/http://www.douglas.co.us/government/our-locations/ |archive-date=October 27, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Departments |publisher=Douglas County Government |url=http://www.douglas.co.us/government/departments/ |access-date=October 25, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027212609/http://www.douglas.co.us/government/departments/ |archive-date=October 27, 2013}}</ref>

{{As of|2013}}, Castle Rock lies within [[Colorado's 4th congressional district|Colorado's 4th U.S. Congressional District]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Colorado - Congressional Districts |work=The National Atlas of the United States of America |publisher=[[U.S. Geological Survey]] |url=http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/congdist/pagecgd113_co.pdf |access-date=October 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201947/http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/congdist/pagecgd113_co.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2013}}</ref> The town is in the 4th district of the [[Colorado Senate]] and the 45th district of the [[Colorado House of Representatives]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Colorado Webmaps - My Neighborhood |publisher=[[Government of Colorado]] |url=http://www.colorado.gov/esri/webmaps/my-hood.html |access-date=October 25, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103025731/http://www.colorado.gov/esri/webmaps/my-hood.html |archive-date=November 3, 2013}}</ref>

Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, a Republican stronghold in Colorado.