Bill Text: IL SB2966 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Township Code. Provides that, if there are 28 months or less remaining in the term of a township officer at the time of the vacancy or failure to qualify, an appointed officer shall serve for the remainder of the term. Provides that, if there are more than 28 months remaining in the term at the time of the vacancy or failure to qualify, the office shall be filled by a special election to be held at the next general election and the appointed officer shall serve until the election results are certified and the person elected at the special election is qualified (rather than a person appointed shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term). Provides that the compensation for a supervisor of a township in Cook County may not be increased during the term of office for which the supervisor is elected or appointed. Provides that an ordinance establishing compensation, including an increase or decrease in a supervisor's compensation, shall apply uniformly to the supervisors whose terms start after enactment of the compensation ordinance. Prohibits a township from decreasing the salary for a person elected as supervisor of a township while maintaining the salary of an incumbent. Provides that an ordinance that violates the provisions is null and void. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-19 - Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 3, 2024 [SB2966 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2966-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2966 Introduced 1/31/2024, by Sen. Napoleon Harris, III SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
60 ILCS 1/60-5
60 ILCS 1/70-45
Amends the Township Code. Provides that, if there are 28 months or less remaining in the term of a township officer at the time of the vacancy or failure to qualify, an appointed officer shall serve for the remainder of the term. Provides that, if there are more than 28 months remaining in the term at the time of the vacancy or failure to qualify, the office shall be filled by a special election to be held at the next general election and the appointed officer shall serve until the election results are certified and the person elected at the special election is qualified (rather than a person appointed shall hold office for the remainder of the unexpired term). Provides that the compensation for a supervisor of a township in Cook County may not be increased during the term of office for which the supervisor is elected or appointed. Provides that an ordinance establishing compensation, including an increase or decrease in a supervisor's compensation, shall apply uniformly to the supervisors whose terms start after enactment of the compensation ordinance. Prohibits a township from decreasing the salary for a person elected as supervisor of a township while maintaining the salary of an incumbent. Provides that an ordinance that violates the provisions is null and void. Effective immediately.
LRB103 37745 AWJ 67873 b
A BILL FOR
SB2966 LRB103 37745 AWJ 67873 b
AN ACT concerning local government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Township Code is amended by changing
Sections 60-5 and 70-45 as follows:
(60 ILCS 1/60-5)
Sec. 60-5. Filling vacancies in township offices.
(a) Except for the office of township or multi-township
assessor, if a township fails to elect the number of township
officers that the township is entitled to by law, or a person
elected to any township office fails to qualify, or a vacancy
in any township office occurs for any other reason including
without limitation the resignation of an officer or the
conviction in any court of the State of Illinois or of the
United States of an officer for an infamous crime, then the
township board shall fill the vacancy by appointment, by
warrant under their signatures and seals. If there are 28
months or less remaining in the term at the time of the vacancy
or failure to qualify, the appointed officer shall serve for
the remainder of the term. If there are more than 28 months
remaining in the term at the time of the vacancy or failure to
qualify, the office shall be filled by a special election to be
held at the next general election and the appointed officer

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shall serve until the election results are certified and the
person elected at the special election is qualified , and the
persons so appointed shall hold their respective offices for
the remainder of the unexpired terms. All persons so appointed
shall have the same powers and duties and are subject to the
same penalties as if they had been elected or appointed for a
full term of office. A vacancy in the office of township or
multi-township assessor shall be filled only as provided in
the Property Tax Code.
For purposes of this subsection (a), a conviction for an
offense that disqualifies an officer from holding that office
occurs on the date of (i) the entry of a plea of guilty in
court, (ii) the return of a guilty verdict, or (iii) in the
case of a trial by the court, the entry of a finding of guilt.
(b) If a vacancy on the township board is not filled within
60 days, then a special township meeting must be called under
Section 35-5 to select a replacement under Section 35-35.
(b-5) If the vacancy being filled under subsection (a) or
(b) is for the township supervisor, a trustee shall be
appointed as deputy supervisor to perform the ministerial
functions of that office until the vacancy is filled under
subsections (a) or (b). Once the vacancy is filled under
subsections (a) or (b), the deputy supervisor's appointment is
terminated.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, whenever
any township or multi-township office becomes vacant or

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temporarily vacant, the township or multi-township board may
temporarily appoint a deputy to perform the ministerial
functions of the vacant office until the vacancy has been
filled as provided in subsection (a) or (b). If the office is
temporarily vacant, the temporarily appointed deputy may
perform the ministerial functions of the vacant office until
the township officer submits a written statement to the
appropriate board that he or she is able to resume his or her
duties. The statement shall be sworn to before an officer
authorized to administer oaths in this State. A temporary
deputy shall not be permitted to vote at any meeting of the
township board on any matter properly before the board unless
the appointed deputy is a trustee of the board at the time of
the vote. If the appointed deputy is a trustee appointed as a
temporary deputy, his or her trustee compensation shall be
suspended until he or she concludes his or her appointment as
an appointed deputy upon the permanent appointment to fill the
vacancy. The compensation of a temporary deputy shall be
determined by the appropriate board. The township board shall
not appoint a deputy clerk if the township clerk has appointed
a deputy clerk under Section 75-45.
(d) Except for the temporary appointment of a deputy under
subsection (c), any person appointed to fill a vacancy under
this Section shall be a member of the same political party as
the person vacating the office if the person vacating the
office was elected as a member of an established political

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party, under Section 10-2 of the Election Code, that is still
in existence at the time of appointment. The appointee shall
establish his or her political party affiliation by his or her
record of voting in party primary elections or by holding or
having held an office in a political party organization before
appointment. If the appointee has not voted in a party primary
election or is not holding or has not held an office in a
political party organization before the appointment, then the
appointee shall establish his or her political party
affiliation by his or her record of participating in a
political party's nomination or election caucus.
(Source: P.A. 101-104, eff. 7-19-19.)
(60 ILCS 1/70-45)
Sec. 70-45. Supervisors in Cook County. The supervisors of
townships in Cook County shall perform the same duties as
supervisors of townships in other counties under township
organization, except that they shall not be members of the
county board or exercise any of the powers of county board
members. They shall have the same compensation for their
services prescribed by law for similar services rendered by
other township supervisors.
Township supervisors may serve as members of the Cook
County Townships Public Aid Committee. The supervisors shall
not receive additional compensation for duties associated with
the Cook County Townships Public Aid Committee but shall be

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reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses related to
service on the Committee.
The compensation for a supervisor of a township in Cook
County may not be increased during the term of office for which
the supervisor is elected or appointed. An ordinance
establishing compensation, including an increase or decrease
in a supervisor's compensation, shall apply uniformly to the
supervisors whose terms start after enactment of the
compensation ordinance. A township is prohibited from
decreasing the salary for a person elected as supervisor of a
township while maintaining the salary of an incumbent. An
ordinance that violates this paragraph is null and void.
(Source: P.A. 90-210, eff. 7-25-97.)