Public Act 094-0244
 		





HB0062 Enrolled
LRB094 02572 MKM 32573 b






    AN ACT creating a commission to study the problems and 
organic laws pertaining to local government. 

 
    WHEREAS, Many of the local governmental units in the State 
of Illinois were
established under provisions of the Illinois 
Constitution of 1870; and

    WHEREAS, There have been rapid changes in the population of 
Illinois in
numbers, in concentration, and in movement, as well 
as vast economic, social,
and technological changes, that 
strain the ability of Illinois local
governments adequately to 
furnish necessary services; and

    WHEREAS, Illinois local governments were conceived to 
serve a rural society;
in areas not experiencing the impact of 
modern changes, they may be adequate,
but in areas of great 
change, notably the urban areas, they are not
sufficiently 
flexible, do not have adequate powers and financing, and are 
not
responsive to present-day needs in transportation, health, 
water supply, water
pollution, air pollution, recreation, 
disposal of sewage, and disposal of
refuse; and

    WHEREAS, The inadequacies in Illinois local governments 
have resulted in the
creation of numerous functional local 
governments all competing for financial
and jurisdictional 
support from the same area; therefore,


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


 
    Section 1. Short title.   This Act may be cited as the Local 
Government
Consolidation Commission Act.



 
    Section 5. Commission; creation; members.   There is created 
a Commission on
Local Government, to consist of
17 members, 3 
to be members of the Senate appointed by the President of the

Senate, 3 to
be members of the Senate appointed by the Senate 
Minority Leader, 3 to be
members of
the House of 
Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, 3 to be

members of
the House of Representatives appointed by the House 
Minority Leader, and 5 to
be
citizens of the State appointed by 
the Governor as follows:
    (1)  One member selected from recommendations provided by an 
association representing counties;
    (2)  One member selected from recommendations provided by an 
association representing municipalities;
    (3) One member selected from recommendations provided by an 
association representing townships;
    (4)  One member selected from recommendations provided by an 
association representing park districts; and
    (5)  One member who serves as an elected officer of a local 
governmental entity in Illinois other than a county, 
municipality, township, or park district.

 
    Section 10. Study; recommendations.   The Commission shall 
make a survey of
the entire structure of
local governments and 
of their organization, powers, jurisdiction, and functions.
 
Among other things, and without limiting its activities, the 
Commission shall:


    (1) Study all laws governing the organization, powers, 
jurisdiction,
and functions of local governments.


    (2) Study the inter-relationships of local governments to 
each other and to
federal and State governments.


    (3) Formulate specific recommendations for legislation or 
constitutional
amendments to (i) permit effective management 
of local affairs, (ii) encourage
local policy decision making, 
(iii) reduce the multiplicity of local
governments,
(iv) 
eliminate overlapping and duplicating of unnecessary powers, 
(v) increase
efficiency and economy in local governments, and 
(vi) allow optional forms of
local governments and increase 
their authority for cooperation among the levels
of government.



 
    Section 15. Meetings; officers.   The members of the 
Commission shall meet and
the Commission
shall be organized 
within 90 days after the effective date of this
Act, and shall 
at that time elect a chair from among the members.  The

Commission may adopt its own rules of procedure.  The Commission 
may employ or
use the services of specialists in public 
administration and governmental
management and any other 
trained consultants, analysts, investigators, and
assistants 
it may consider necessary, on either a full-time or a part-time

basis.
The Commission shall fix the compensation for any paid 
employees, which shall
be paid from moneys appropriated for 
that purpose.



 
    Section 20. Compensation; expenses.   The members of the 
Commission shall
serve without compensation,
but their actual 
traveling and other expenses while engaged in performance of

the duties of the commission shall be paid from moneys 
appropriated
for that purpose.



 
    Section 25. Report.   The Commission shall render its final 
report to the
General
Assembly not later than December 31, 
2006, setting out its findings and
recommendations and 
proposing those measures it considers necessary to effect

essential changes and improvements in the existing laws 
relating to any or
all of the matters enumerated in Section 10 
of this Act.



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