special purpose districts in illinois are forms of local government that are responsible for a narrow set of responsibilities. illinois has the most special purpose districts of any u.s. state. the exact number depends on how one defines a “special purpose district.” the united states census bureau has determined that illinois has 3,227 special purpose governments as of june 30, 2012. the office of the illinois comptroller, which uses a broader definition that includes special districts without budget autonomy, determined the state has 4,755 as of december 2015.