Public Act 0415 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1076 Enrolled LRB103 05169 AWJ 50184 b

Public Act 103-0415

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing Section 5-1049.2 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/5-1049.2)

Sec. 5-1049.2. Lease of county property.

(a) The county board may lease real estate acquired or held by the county for any term not exceeding 99 years and may lease the real estate when, in the opinion of the county board, the real estate is no longer necessary, appropriate, required for the use of, profitable to, or for the best interests of the county. The authority to lease shall be exercised by an ordinance passed by three-fourths of the full county board members then holding office, at any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose. However, the county board may authorize any county officer to make leases for terms not exceeding 2 years in a manner determined by the Board.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), upon three-fourths vote, by the full county board, the county board may lease farmland acquired or held by the county for any term not exceeding 5 years. Farmland may be leased to either public or private entities via a cash lease, crop-sharing arrangement, or custom farming arrangement. The bid process for a lease entered into under this subsection must be publicly advertised and sealed bids must be opened at a county board meeting for public review. Counties shall not acquire farmland for the sole purpose of entering into a cash lease, crop-sharing arrangement, or custom farming arrangement or other speculative purpose.

(Source: P.A. 88-526.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.