Bill Text: IL SB2061 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Township Code. Removes a restriction limiting townships to 126 square miles. Provides that an ordinance or petition to consolidate a township may contain a provision requiring a new tax rate for the consolidated area equal to the lowest property tax rate in the consolidated area preceding the consolidation. Provides that all townships within a coterminous, or substantially coterminous, municipality may be consolidated. Further provides that a county board may elect to restructure into a commission form of government after discontinuance of township organization (currently, a county is required to reorganize into a commission form of government). Amends the Property Tax Code and the Counties Code making conforming changes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2019-01-09 - Session Sine Die [SB2061 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-SB2061-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning local government.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by adding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section 18-51 as follows:
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6 | (35 ILCS 200/18-51 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 18-51. Property tax of consolidated townships. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, when townships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | are consolidated under Sections 20-5, 27-10, or 28-10 of the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Township Code and the petition or ordinance contains a | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | requirement that a new property tax levy shall be levied on the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | new consolidated township or municipality, the county clerk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | shall calculate a new township or municipal property tax levy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | for the levy year in the year which the consolidation takes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | place equal to the levy of the township or municipality with | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | the lowest levy. The new property tax levy shall contain all | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | funds of the former tax levies and the county clerk shall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | proportionally reduce each fund unless otherwise required by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | the petition or ordinance.
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20 | Section 10. The Counties Code is amended by changing the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | heading of Article Div. 2-4 and Section 2-4006 as follows:
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1 | (55 ILCS 5/Div. 2-4 heading) | ||||||
2 | Division 2-4. Counties not under Township Organization
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3 | Organized as a Commission Form of Government
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4 | (55 ILCS 5/2-4006)
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5 | Sec. 2-4006. Terms of commissioners.
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6 | (a) In every county not under
township organization that is | ||||||
7 | organized as commission form of government having 3 | ||||||
8 | commissioners elected at large as described in
subsection (b) | ||||||
9 | or (c), the commissioners shall be elected as provided in this
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10 | Section.
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11 | (b) In a county in which one commissioner was elected at | ||||||
12 | the general
election in 1992 to serve for a term of 4 years and | ||||||
13 | in which 2 commissioners
will be elected at the general | ||||||
14 | election in 1994, the commissioner elected in
1994 and | ||||||
15 | receiving the greatest number of votes shall serve for a term | ||||||
16 | of 6
years. The other commissioner elected in 1994 shall serve | ||||||
17 | for a term of 4
years. At the general election in 1996 and at | ||||||
18 | each general election
thereafter, one commissioner shall be | ||||||
19 | elected to serve for a term of 6 years.
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20 | (c) In a county in which 2 commissioners were elected at | ||||||
21 | the general
election in 1992 to serve for terms of 4 years and | ||||||
22 | in which one commissioner
will be elected at the general | ||||||
23 | election in 1994, the commissioner elected in
1994 shall serve | ||||||
24 | for a term of 4 years. The commissioner elected in 1996 and
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25 | receiving the greatest number of votes shall serve for a term |
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1 | of 6 years. The
other commissioner elected in 1996 shall serve | ||||||
2 | for a term of 4 years. At the
general election in 1998 and at | ||||||
3 | each general election thereafter, one
commissioner shall be | ||||||
4 | elected to serve for a term of 6 years. | ||||||
5 | (c-5) In Calhoun County, Edwards County, and Union County, | ||||||
6 | the registered voters of the county may, upon referendum
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7 | initiated by (i) the adoption of a resolution of the
board of | ||||||
8 | county commissioners or (ii) a petition signed by not less than | ||||||
9 | 10% of the registered voters in the county, determine that the | ||||||
10 | board of
county commissioners shall consist of 5
commissioners | ||||||
11 | elected at large. The commissioners must certify
the question | ||||||
12 | to the proper election authority, which must
submit the | ||||||
13 | question at an election in accordance with the
general election | ||||||
14 | law. | ||||||
15 | The question shall be submitted in substantially the
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16 | following form: | ||||||
17 | "Shall the board of county commissioners of (county) | ||||||
18 | consist of 5 commissioners elected at large?" | ||||||
19 | Votes must be recorded as "Yes" or "No". If a majority of | ||||||
20 | the electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, | ||||||
21 | then a 5-member board of county commissioners shall be | ||||||
22 | established beginning with the next general election. The | ||||||
23 | County Clerk, in consultation with the State's Attorney for the | ||||||
24 | county, shall develop and present to the board of county | ||||||
25 | commissioners, to implement by the adoption of a resolution, | ||||||
26 | the transition of terms for the current 3-member board of |
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1 | commissioners and the addition of 2 commissioners for 6-year | ||||||
2 | terms. Thereafter, commissioners shall be elected at each | ||||||
3 | general election to fill expired terms.
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4 | (d) The provisions of this Section do not apply to | ||||||
5 | commissioners elected
under Section 2-4006.5 of this Code.
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6 | (Source: P.A. 96-175, eff. 8-10-09.)
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7 | Section 15. The Township Code is amended by changing | ||||||
8 | Sections 10-25, 20-5, 25-15, 25-25, 27-5, 27-10, and 28-10 and | ||||||
9 | the heading of Article 27 as follows:
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10 | (60 ILCS 1/10-25)
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11 | Sec. 10-25. Plan for changes in townships.
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12 | (a) The county board of each county may, subject to a | ||||||
13 | referendum in the
townships affected as provided in this | ||||||
14 | Section, adopt a plan for altering the
boundaries of townships, | ||||||
15 | changing township lines, dividing, enlarging, or
consolidating | ||||||
16 | townships, or creating new townships, so that each township | ||||||
17 | shall
possess an equalized assessed valuation of not less than | ||||||
18 | $10,000,000 as of the
1982 assessment year or an area of not | ||||||
19 | more than 126 square miles .
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20 | (b) No alteration or change in boundaries shall be | ||||||
21 | effective unless
approved by a referendum in each township | ||||||
22 | affected. The election authority
shall submit to the voters of | ||||||
23 | each township affected, at a regular
election to be held not | ||||||
24 | less than 60 days after the plan is adopted,
the question of |
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1 | approving the alteration or change. The alterations or changes,
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2 | if approved by the voters, shall take effect on the date of the | ||||||
3 | next township
election and shall be applicable to that | ||||||
4 | election. If there is doubt as to the
township clerk with whom | ||||||
5 | nomination papers for that election should be filed,
the county | ||||||
6 | board shall designate the clerk. In the alteration of | ||||||
7 | boundaries, a
county board may not disturb urban or coterminous | ||||||
8 | townships in existence on
October 1, 1978.
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9 | (Source: P.A. 84-1308; 88-62.)
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10 | (60 ILCS 1/20-5)
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11 | Sec. 20-5. Consolidation of townships within city; | ||||||
12 | petition and referendum. When the territory of any city in a | ||||||
13 | county under township organization is
composed of 5 or more | ||||||
14 | congressional townships or fractional parts of
congressional | ||||||
15 | townships and the legal voters of the city want to organize the
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16 | territory into one township, upon a petition of at least | ||||||
17 | one-tenth of the legal
voters of the city (to be ascertained by | ||||||
18 | the votes cast at the last preceding
presidential election), | ||||||
19 | the county board of the county shall order submitted to
the | ||||||
20 | voters of the city, in accordance with the general election | ||||||
21 | law, at the
next general election, the question of | ||||||
22 | consolidation of the territory included
in the city into one | ||||||
23 | township. The board shall certify the proposition
to the proper | ||||||
24 | election officials, who shall submit the proposition at the
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25 | general election in accordance with the general election law. |
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1 | The proposition
shall be in substantially the following form:
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2 | Shall (names or descriptions of congressional | ||||||
3 | townships or parts of
congressional townships) contained | ||||||
4 | within (name of city) be consolidated
into one township?
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5 | The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
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6 | The petition to consolidate townships within a city may | ||||||
7 | contain a requirement that a new township property tax levy to | ||||||
8 | be levied on the new consolidated township equal to the lowest | ||||||
9 | township property tax levy under Section 18-51 of the Property | ||||||
10 | Tax Code. | ||||||
11 | (Source: P.A. 81-1489; 88-62.)
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12 | (60 ILCS 1/25-15)
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13 | Sec. 25-15. Selection of county governing body; election | ||||||
14 | Election of county commissioners . When township organization
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15 | ceases in any county as provided in this Article, the county | ||||||
16 | board may, by a 2/3 vote, restructure into a commission form of | ||||||
17 | government on or before 60 days after a township organization | ||||||
18 | ceases. If the county board votes to assume a commission form | ||||||
19 | of government, an election shall be held in
the county at the | ||||||
20 | next general election in an even-numbered year for 3 county
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21 | commissioners who shall hold office for 2, 4, and 6 years, | ||||||
22 | respectively, and
until their successors are elected and | ||||||
23 | qualified. Terms shall be determined by
lot. At each succeeding | ||||||
24 | general election after the first, one commissioner
shall be | ||||||
25 | elected.
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1 | (Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
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2 | (60 ILCS 1/25-25)
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3 | Sec. 25-25. Disposal of township records and property. When | ||||||
4 | township
organization is discontinued in any county, the | ||||||
5 | records of the several
townships shall be deposited in the | ||||||
6 | county clerk's office. The county
board commissioners of the | ||||||
7 | county may close up all unfinished business of the several
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8 | townships and sell and dispose of any of the property belonging | ||||||
9 | to a township
for the benefit of the inhabitants of the | ||||||
10 | township, as fully as might have been
done by the townships | ||||||
11 | themselves. The county board commissioners may pay all the
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12 | indebtedness of any township existing at the time of the | ||||||
13 | discontinuance of
township organization and cause the amount of | ||||||
14 | the indebtedness, or so much as
may be necessary, to be levied | ||||||
15 | upon the property of the township.
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16 | (Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
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17 | (60 ILCS 1/Art. 27 heading) | ||||||
18 | ARTICLE 27. DISCONTINUANCE OF TOWNSHIP | ||||||
19 | ORGANIZATION WITHIN COTERMINOUS MUNICIPALITY:
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20 | ALL TOWNSHIPS | ||||||
21 | COUNTY POPULATION OF 3 MILLION OR MORE | ||||||
22 | (Source: P.A. 98-127, eff. 8-2-13; 99-474, eff. 8-27-15.)
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23 | (60 ILCS 1/27-5) |
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1 | Sec. 27-5. Applicability. This Article shall apply only to | ||||||
2 | a township that : (1) is within a coterminous, or substantially | ||||||
3 | coterminous, municipality in which the city council exercises | ||||||
4 | the powers and duties of the township board, or in which one or | ||||||
5 | more municipal officials serve as an officer or trustee of the | ||||||
6 | township; (2) is located within a county with a population of 3 | ||||||
7 | million or more; and (3) contains a territory of 7 square miles | ||||||
8 | or more .
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9 | (Source: P.A. 98-127, eff. 8-2-13.)
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10 | (60 ILCS 1/27-10) | ||||||
11 | Sec. 27-10. Petition and referendum to discontinue and | ||||||
12 | abolish a township organization within a coterminous | ||||||
13 | municipality. Upon adoption of an ordinance by the city council | ||||||
14 | of a township described under Section 27-5 of this Article, or | ||||||
15 | upon petition of at least 10% of the registered voters of that | ||||||
16 | township, the city council shall certify and cause to be | ||||||
17 | submitted to the voters of the township, at the next election | ||||||
18 | or consolidated election, a proposition to discontinue and | ||||||
19 | abolish the township organization and to transfer all the | ||||||
20 | rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, | ||||||
21 | obligations, and responsibilities of the township organization | ||||||
22 | to the coterminous municipality. | ||||||
23 | A signature on a petition shall not be valid or counted in | ||||||
24 | considering the petition unless the form requirements are | ||||||
25 | complied with and the date of each signature is less than 90 |
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1 | days before the last day for filing the petition. The statement | ||||||
2 | of the person who circulates the petition must include an | ||||||
3 | attestation (i) indicating the dates on which that sheet was | ||||||
4 | circulated, (ii) indicating the first and last date on which | ||||||
5 | that sheet was circulated, or (iii) certifying that none of the | ||||||
6 | signatures on the sheet was signed more than 90 days before the | ||||||
7 | last day for filing the petition. The petition shall be treated | ||||||
8 | and the proposition certified in the manner provided by the | ||||||
9 | general election law. After the proposition has once been | ||||||
10 | submitted to the electorate, the proposition shall not be | ||||||
11 | resubmitted for 4 years. | ||||||
12 | The proposition shall be in substantially the following | ||||||
13 | form: | ||||||
14 | Shall the township organization be continued in [Name | ||||||
15 | of Township] Township? | ||||||
16 | The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
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17 | An ordinance or petition to discontinue and abolish a | ||||||
18 | township may contain a requirement that a new property tax levy | ||||||
19 | be levied on the new consolidated township and municipality | ||||||
20 | equal to the lowest property tax levy of the township or | ||||||
21 | municipality under Section 18-51 of the Property Tax Code. | ||||||
22 | (Source: P.A. 98-127, eff. 8-2-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)
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23 | (60 ILCS 1/28-10) | ||||||
24 | Sec. 28-10. Ordinance to discontinue and abolish a township | ||||||
25 | organization within a coterminous municipality; cessation of |
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1 | township organization. | ||||||
2 | (a) The township board of a township described under | ||||||
3 | Section 28-5 of this Article may adopt an ordinance, with a | ||||||
4 | majority of the votes of the township board, providing that, | ||||||
5 | upon the approval of a coterminous, or substantially | ||||||
6 | coterminous, municipality's corporate authorities, (1) that | ||||||
7 | the township organization shall discontinue and be abolished; | ||||||
8 | and (2) that the township shall transfer all the rights, | ||||||
9 | powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, obligations, | ||||||
10 | and responsibilities of the township organization to the | ||||||
11 | coterminous, or substantially coterminous, municipality. The | ||||||
12 | corporate authorities of the coterminous, or substantially | ||||||
13 | coterminous, municipality shall adopt an ordinance by a | ||||||
14 | majority vote approving such transfer to the municipality. | ||||||
15 | (b) On the later date of either the (i) approval of an | ||||||
16 | ordinance by a municipality under subsection (a) of this | ||||||
17 | Section, or (ii) expiration of the township officers' terms | ||||||
18 | after passing an ordinance under subsection (a) of this | ||||||
19 | Section, the township is discontinued and abolished and all the | ||||||
20 | rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, | ||||||
21 | obligations, and responsibilities of the township shall by | ||||||
22 | operation of law vest in and be assumed by the municipality, | ||||||
23 | including the authority to levy property taxes for township | ||||||
24 | purposes in the same manner as the dissolved township.
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25 | (c) An ordinance adopted under subsection (a) of this | ||||||
26 | Section may contain a requirement that a new property tax levy |
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1 | be levied on the new consolidated township and municipality | ||||||
2 | equal to the lowest property tax levy of the township or | ||||||
3 | municipality under Section 18-51 of the Property Tax Code. | ||||||
4 | (Source: P.A. 99-474, eff. 8-27-15.)
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