Public Act 0617 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0668 Enrolled LRB094 07518 AJO 37685 b

Public Act 094-0617

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act is amended by changing Section 1 as follows:

(50 ILCS 105/1) (from Ch. 102, par. 1)

Sec. 1. County board. No member of a county board, during the term of office for which he or she is elected, may be appointed to, accept, or hold any office other than (i) chairman of the county board or member of the regional planning commission by appointment or election of the board of which he or she is a member, or (ii) alderman of a city or member of the board of trustees of a village or incorporated town if the city, village, or incorporated town has fewer than 1,000 inhabitants and is located in a county having fewer than 50,000 inhabitants, or (iii) trustee of a forest preserve district created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act, unless he or she first resigns from the office of county board member or unless the holding of another office is authorized by law. Any such prohibited appointment or election is void. This Section shall not preclude a member of the county board from being selected or from serving as a member of a County Extension Board as provided in Section 7 of the County Cooperative Extension Law, as a member of an Emergency Telephone System Board as provided in Section 15.4 of the Emergency Telephone System Act, or as appointed members of the board of review as provided in Section 6-30 of the Property Tax Code. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit an elected county official from holding elected office in another unit of local government so long as there is no contractual relationship between the county and the other unit of local government. This amendatory Act of 1995 is declarative of existing law and is not a new enactment.

(Source: P.A. 91-732, eff. 1-1-01; 92-111, eff. 1-1-02.)

Section 10. The Conservation District Act is amended by changing Sections 5, 13, and 15 and by adding Section 18.5 as follows:

(70 ILCS 410/5) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7105)

Sec. 5. Board of trustees.

(a) The affairs of a conservation district shall be managed by a board which shall consist of 5 trustees, except as otherwise provided in this Section. If the boundaries of the district are coextensive with the boundaries of one county, the trustees shall be residents of that county. If the district embraces 2 counties, 3 trustees shall be residents of the county with the larger population and 2 trustees shall be residents of the other county. If the district embraces 3 counties, one trustee shall be a resident of the county with the smallest population and each of the other counties shall have 2 resident trustees. If the district embraces 4 counties, 2 trustees shall be residents of the county with the largest population and each of the other counties shall have one resident trustee. If the district embraces 5 counties, each county shall have one resident trustee.

(b) A district that is entirely within a county of under 750,000 300,000 inhabitants and contiguous to a county of more than 2,000,000 inhabitants and that is authorized by referendum as provided in subsection (d) of Section 15 to incur indebtedness over 0.575% but not to exceed 1.725% shall have a board consisting of 7 trustees, all of whom shall be residents of the county. The additional 2 trustees shall be appointed by the chairman of the county board, with the consent of the county board, and shall hold office for terms expiring on June 30 as follows: one trustee after 4 years and one trustee after 5 years from the date of the referendum. Successor trustees shall be appointed in the same manner no later than June 1 before the commencement of the term of the trustee.

(c) Trustees shall be qualified voters of such district who do not hold any other public office and are not officers of any political party. Trustees, if nominated by the county board chairman as hereinafter provided, shall be selected on the basis of their demonstrated interest in the purpose of conservation districts.

(d) The chairman of the county board for the county of which the trustee is a resident shall, with the consent of the county board of that county, appoint the first trustees who shall hold office for terms expiring on June 30 after one, 2, 3, 4, and 5 year periods respectively as determined and fixed by lot. Thereafter, successor trustees shall be appointed in the same manner no later than June 1 prior to the commencement of term of the trustee.

(e) Each successor trustee shall serve for a term of 5 years. A vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment of a trustee by the county board chairman of the county of which the trustee shall be a resident, with the approval of the county board of that county. A trustee who has served a full term of 5 years is ineligible to serve as a trustee for a period of one year following the expiration of his term. When any trustee during his term of office shall cease to be a bona fide resident of the district he is disqualified as a trustee and his office becomes vacant.

(f) Trustees shall serve without compensation, but may be paid their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.

(g) A trustee may be removed for cause by the county board chairman for the county of which the trustee is a resident, with the approval of the county board of that county, but every such removal shall be by a written order, which shall be filed with the county clerk.

(h) A conservation district with 5 trustees may determine by majority vote of the board to increase the size of the board to 7 trustees. With respect to a 7-member board, no more than 3 members may be residents of any township in a county under township organization or of any congressional township in a county not under township organization. In the case of a 7-member board representing a district that embraces 2 counties, 4 trustees shall be residents of the county with the larger population and 3 trustees shall be residents of the other county. If the district embraces 3 counties, 2 trustees shall be residents of each of the 2 counties with the smallest population and the largest county shall have 3 resident trustees. If the district embraces 4 counties, one trustee shall be a resident of the county with the smallest population and each of the other counties shall have 2 resident trustees. If the district embraces 5 counties, the 2 counties with the largest population shall each have 2 resident trustees and each of the other counties shall have one resident trustee. The pertinent appointing authorities shall appoint the additional 2 trustees to initial terms as equally staggered as possible from the terms of the trustees already appointed from that township or county so that 2 trustees representing the same area shall not be succeeded in the same year.

(Source: P.A. 90-195, eff. 7-24-97; 91-629, eff. 8-19-99.)

(70 ILCS 410/13) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7114)

Sec. 13. The fiscal year of each district shall commence April 1 and extend through the following March 31.

The board shall, within the first quarter of each fiscal year, adopt a combined annual budget and appropriation ordinance as provided in the Illinois Municipal Budget Law. In a district located entirely within a county with a population of less than 750,000 300,000 that is contiguous to a county with a population of more than 2,000,000, the district's combined annual budget and appropriation ordinance shall not be considered to be adopted until it is also adopted by resolution of the county board of the county in which the district is located.

Except as otherwise provided in this Act, a district may annually levy taxes upon all the taxable property therein at the value thereof, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, to be extended at not more than the rates and for the purposes specified hereinafter:

(1) 0.025% for the general purposes of the district, including acquisition and development of real property which may be in excess of current requirements and allowed to accumulate from year to year, and for any purposes specified by the district; however, no tax may be extended at a rate that will result in accumulation of any amount representing more than 0.075% of the equalized assessed valuation of the district.

(2) 0.075% for acquisition of real property, which may be in excess of current requirements and allowed to accumulate from year to year, and for any purposes specified by the district; however, no tax may be extended at a rate that will result in accumulation of any amount representing more than 0.25% of the equalized assessed valuation of the district.

(3) 0.1%, in lieu of the two rates specified in (1) and (2) above, for the general purposes of the district, including the acquisition, development, operation and maintenance of real property which may be in excess of current requirements and allowed to accumulate from year to year, and for any purposes specified by the district; however, no tax may be extended at a rate that will result in accumulation of any amount representing more than 0.325% of the equalized assessed valuation of the district.

Except as provided in some other Act, a district may not levy annual taxes, for all its purposes in the aggregate, in excess of 0.1% of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, of the taxable property therein.

After the adoption of the combined budget and appropriation ordinance and within the second quarter of each fiscal year, the board shall ascertain the total amount of the appropriations legally made which are to be provided for from tax levies for the current year. Then, by an ordinance specifying in detail the purposes for which such appropriations have been made and the amounts appropriated for such purposes, the board shall levy not to exceed the total amount so ascertained upon all the property subject to taxation within the district as the same is assessed and equalized for state and county purposes for the current year. A certified copy of such ordinance shall be filed on or before the first Tuesday in October with the clerk of each county wherein the district or any part thereof is located.

(Source: P.A. 91-629, eff. 8-19-99.)

(70 ILCS 410/15) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 7116)

Sec. 15. (a) Whenever a district does not have sufficient money in its treasury to meet all necessary expenses and liabilities thereof, it may issue tax anticipation warrants. Such issue of tax anticipation warrants shall be subject to the provisions of Section 2 of "An Act to provide for the manner of issuing warrants upon the treasurer of the State or of any county, township, or other municipal corporation or quasi municipal corporation, or of any farm drainage district, river district, drainage and levee district, fire protection district and jurors' certificates", approved June 27, 1913, as now and hereafter amended.

(b) For the purpose of acquisition of real property, or rights thereto, a district may incur indebtedness and, as evidence of the indebtedness thus created, may issue and sell bonds without first obtaining the consent of the legal voters of the district.

(c) For the purpose of development of real property, a district may incur indebtedness and, as evidence of the indebtedness thus created, may issue and sell bonds only after the proposition to issue bonds has been submitted to the legal voters of the district at an election and has been approved by a majority of those voting on the proposition. Such election is subject to Section 15.1 of this Act.

(d) No district shall become indebted in any manner or for any purpose, to any amount including existing indebtedness in the aggregate exceeding 0.575% of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, of the taxable property therein; except that a district entirely within a county of under 750,000 300,000 inhabitants and contiguous to a county of more than 2,000,000 inhabitants may incur indebtedness, including existing indebtedness, in the aggregate not exceeding 1.725% of that value if the aggregate indebtedness over 0.575% is submitted to the legal voters of the district at an election and is approved by a majority of those voting on the proposition as provided in Section 15.1.

(e) Before or at the time of issuing bonds for acquisition or development of real property, the district shall provide by ordinance for the collection of an annual tax, in addition to all other taxes authorized by this act, sufficient to pay such bonds and the interest thereon as the same respectively become due. Such bonds shall be divided into series, the first of which shall mature not later than 5 years after the date of issue and the last of which shall mature not later than 20 years after the date of issue; shall bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the maximum rate permitted in "An Act to authorize public corporations to issue bonds, other evidences of indebtedness and tax anticipation warrants subject to interest rate limitations set forth therein", approved May 26, 1970, as now or hereafter amended; shall be in such form as the district shall by resolution provide and shall be payable as to both principal and interest from the proceeds of the annual levy of taxes authorized to be levied by this Section, or so much thereof as will be sufficient to pay the principal thereof and the interest thereon. Prior to the authorization and issuance of such bonds the district may, with or without notice, negotiate and enter into an agreement or agreements with any bank, investment banker, trust company or insurance company or group thereof whereunder the marketing of such bonds may be assured and consummated. The proceeds of such bonds shall be deposited in a special fund, to be kept separate and apart from all other funds of the conservation district.

(Source: P.A. 91-629, eff. 8-19-99.)

(70 ILCS 410/18.5 new)

Sec. 18.5. Dissolution of conservation district and creation of forest preserve district.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the boundaries of a conservation district are coextensive with the boundaries of one county, then the county board may adopt a resolution to submit the question of whether the conservation district shall be dissolved and, upon the dissolution of the conservation district, a forest preserve district created. The question shall be submitted to the electors of the conservation district at a regular election and approved by a majority of the electors voting on the question. The county board must certify the question to the proper election authorities, which must submit the question at an election in accordance with the Election Code.

The election authorities must submit the question in substantially the following form:

Shall the (insert name of conservation district) be dissolved and, upon its dissolution, a forest preserve district created with boundaries that are coextensive with the boundaries of (insert name of county)?

The election authorities must record the votes as "Yes" or "No".

If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, then, on the thirtieth day after the results of the referendum are certified, the conservation district is dissolved and the forest preserve district is created. The terms of all trustees of the conservation district are terminated and the county board members shall serve ex officio as the commissioners of the forest preserve district. The chairman of the county board shall serve as chairman of the board of commissioners of the forest preserve district.

(b) Each county board member shall serve ex officio as a commissioner of the forest preserve district until the expiration of his or her term as a county board member or until the member's position on the county board is otherwise vacated. Upon the expiration of the term of any county board member serving as a commissioner or upon the occurrence of any other vacancy on the county board, the office of commissioner shall be filled by that county board member's successor on the county board.

(c) The forest preserve district shall serve as the successor entity to the dissolved conservation district and references to the dissolved conservation district or to its officers or employees in any document, contract, agreement, or law shall, in appropriate contexts, be deemed to refer to the successor forest preserve district. Thirty days after the dissolution of the conservation district, all of its assets, liabilities, property (both real and personal), employees, books, and records are transferred to the forest preserve district by operation of law. All rules and ordinances of the dissolved conservation district shall remain in effect as rules and ordinances of the forest preserve district until amended or repealed by the forest preserve district.

(d) If there are any bonds of the conservation district outstanding and unpaid at the time the conservation district is dissolved, the forest preserve district shall be liable for that bond indebtedness and the forest preserve district may continue to levy and extend taxes upon the taxable property in that territory for the purpose of amortizing those bonds until such time as the bonds are retired.

(e) The county board members may be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses actually incurred in performing their official duties as members of the board of commissioners of the forest preserve district in accordance with the provisions of Section 3a of the Downstate Forest Preserve Act. Any reimbursement paid under this subsection shall be paid by the forest preserve district.

(f) A forest preserve district created under this Section shall have the same powers, duties, and authority as a forest preserve district created under the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act, except that it shall have the same bonding and taxing authority as a conservation district under the Conservation District Act. To the extent that any provision of this Section conflicts with any provision of the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act, this Section controls.

Section 15. The Downstate Forest Preserve District Act is amended by changing Sections 3c, 13 and 13.1 and by adding Section 13.1a as follows:

(70 ILCS 805/3c)

Sec. 3c. Elected board of commissioners in certain counties. If the boundaries of a district are co-extensive with the boundaries of a county having a population of more than 800,000 but less than 3,000,000, all commissioners of the forest preserve district shall be elected from the same districts as members of the county board beginning with the general election held in 2002 and each succeeding general election. One commissioner shall be elected from each district. At their first meeting after their election in 2002 and following each subsequent decennial reapportionment of the county under Division 2-3 of the Counties Code, the elected commissioners shall publicly by lot divide themselves into 2 groups, as equal in size as possible. Commissioners from the first group shall serve for terms of 2, 4, and 4 years; and commissioners from the second group shall serve terms of 4, 4, and 2 years. Beginning with the general election in 2002, the president of the board of commissioners of the forest preserve district shall be elected by the voters of the county, rather than by the commissioners. The president shall be a resident of the county and shall be elected throughout the county for a 4-year term without having been first elected as commissioner of the forest preserve district. Each commissioner shall be a resident of the county board district from which he or she was elected not later than the date of the commencement of the term of office. The term of office for the president and commissioners elected under this Section shall commence on the first Monday of the month following the month of election. Neither a commissioner nor the president of the board of commissioners of that forest preserve district shall serve simultaneously as member or chairman of the county board. No person shall seek election to both the forest preserve commission and the county board at the same election. The compensation for the president shall be an amount equal to 85% of the annual salary of the county board chairman. The president, with the advice and consent of the board of commissioners shall appoint a secretary, treasurer, and such other officers as deemed necessary by the board of commissioners, which officers need not be members of the board of commissioners. The president shall have the powers and duties as specified in Section 12 of this Act.

Candidates for president and commissioner shall be candidates of established political parties.

If a vacancy in the office of president or commissioner occurs, other than by expiration of the president's or commissioner's term, the forest preserve district board of commissioners shall declare that a vacancy exists and notification of the vacancy shall be given to the county central committee of each established political party within 3 business days after the occurrence of the vacancy. If the vacancy occurs in the office of forest preserve district commissioner, the president of the board of commissioners shall, within 60 days after the date of the vacancy, with the advice and consent of other commissioners then serving, appoint a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. The appointee shall be affiliated with the same political party as the commissioner in whose office the vacancy occurred and be a resident of such district. If a vacancy in the office of president occurs, other than by expiration of the president's term, the remaining members of the board of commissioners shall, within 60 days after the vacancy, appoint one of the commissioners to serve as president for the remainder of the unexpired term. In that case, the office of the commissioner who is appointed to serve as president shall be deemed vacant and shall be filled within 60 days by appointment of the president with the advice and consent of the other forest preserve district commissioners. The commissioner who is appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of president shall be affiliated with the same political party as the person who occupied the office of president prior to the vacancy. A person appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of president or commissioner shall establish his or her party affiliation by his or her record of voting in primary elections or by holding or having held an office in an established political party organization before the appointment. If the appointee has not voted in a party primary election or is not holding or has not held an office in an established political party organization before the appointment, the appointee shall establish his or her political party affiliation by his or her record of participating in an established political party's nomination or election caucus. If, however, more than 28 months remain in the unexpired term of a commissioner or the president, the appointment shall be until the next general election, at which time the vacated office of commissioner or president shall be filled by election for the remainder of the term. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, if a vacancy occurs after the last day provided in Section 7-12 of the Election Code for filing nomination papers for the office of president of a forest preserve district where that office is elected as provided for in this Section, or as set forth in Section 7-61 of the Election Code, a vacancy in nomination shall be filled by the passage of a resolution by the nominating committee of the affected political party within the time periods specified in the Election Code. The nominating committee shall consist of the chairman of the county central committee and the township chairmen of the affected political party. All other vacancies in nomination shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of the Election Code.

The president and commissioners elected under this Section may be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses actually incurred in performing their official duties under this Act in accordance with the provisions of Section 3a. The reimbursement paid under this Section shall be paid by the forest preserve district.

Compensation for forest preserve commissioners elected under this Section shall be the same as that of county board members of the county with which the forest preserve district's boundaries are co-extensive.

This Section does not apply to a forest preserve district created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-933, eff. 12-30-00; 92-583, eff. 6-26-02.)

(70 ILCS 805/13) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6323)

Sec. 13. Bonds; limitation on indebtedness. The board of any forest preserve district organized hereunder may, for any of the purposes enumerated in this Act, borrow money upon the faith and credit of such district, and may issue bonds therefor. However, a district with a population of less than 3,000,000 may not become indebted in any manner or for any purpose to an amount including existing indebtedness in the aggregate exceeding 2.3% of the assessed value of the taxable property therein, as ascertained by the last equalized assessment for State and county purposes. No district may incur (i) indebtedness in excess of .3% of the assessed value of taxable property in the district, as ascertained by the last equalized assessment for State and county purposes, for the development of forest preserve lands held by the district, or (ii) indebtedness for any other purpose except the acquisition of land including acquiring lands in fee simple along or enclosing water courses, drainage ways, lakes, ponds, planned impoundments or elsewhere which are required to store flood waters or control other drainage and water conditions necessary for the preservation and management of the water resources of the District, unless the proposition to issue bonds or otherwise incur indebtedness is certified by the board to the proper election officials who shall submit the proposition at an election in accordance with the general election law, and approved by a majority of those voting upon the proposition. No district containing fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants may incur indebtedness for the acquisition of land or lands for any purpose in excess of 55,000 acres, including all lands theretofore acquired, unless the proposition to issue bonds or otherwise incur indebtedness is first submitted to the voters of the district at a referendum in accordance with the general election law and approved by a majority of those voting upon the proposition. Before or at the time of issuing bonds, the board shall provide by ordinance for the collection of an annual tax sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds as it falls due, and to pay the bonds as they mature. All bonds issued by any forest preserve district must be divided into series, the first of which matures not later than 5 years after the date of issue and the last of which matures not later than 20 years after the date of issue.

This Section does not apply to a forest preserve district created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act.

(Source: P.A. 83-927.)

(70 ILCS 805/13.1) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6324)

Sec. 13.1. Tax levies. After the first Monday in October and by the first Monday in December in each year, the board shall levy the general taxes for the district by general categories for the next fiscal year. A certified copy of the levy ordinance shall be filed with the county clerk by the last Tuesday in December each year.

In forest preserve districts with a population of less than 3,000,000, the amount of taxes levied for general corporate purposes for a fiscal year may not exceed the rate of .06% of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, of the taxable property therein. In addition, in forest preserve districts having a population of 100,000 or more but less than 3,000,000, the board may levy taxes for constructing, restoring reconditioning, reconstructing and acquiring improvements and for the development of the forests and lands of such district, the amount of which tax each fiscal year shall be extended at a rate not to exceed .025% of the assessed value of all taxable property as equalized by the Department of Revenue.

All such taxes and rates are exclusive of the taxes required for the payment of the principal of and interest on bonds, and exclusive of taxes levied for employees' annuity and benefit purposes.

The rate of tax levied for general corporate purposes in a forest preserve district may not be increased by virtue of this amendatory Act of 1977 unless the board first adopts a resolution authorizing such increase and publishes notice thereof in a newspaper having general circulation in the district at least once not less than 45 days prior to the effective date of the increase. The notice shall include a statement of (1) the specific number of voters required to sign a petition requesting that the question of the adoption of the resolution be submitted to the electors of the district; (2) the time in which the petition must be filed; and (3) the date of the prospective referendum. The Secretary of the district shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one. If, no later than 30 days after the publication of such notice, petitions signed by voters of the district equal to 10% or more of the registered voters of the district, as determined by reference to the number of voters registered at the next preceding general election, and residing in the district are presented to the board expressing opposition to the increase, the proposition must first be certified by the board to the proper election officials, who shall submit the proposition to the legal voters of the district at an election in accordance with the general election law and approved by a majority of those voting on the proposition.

The rate of the tax levied for general corporate purposes in a forest preserve district may be increased, up to the maximum rate identified in this Section, by the Board by a resolution calling for the submission of the question of increasing the rate to the voters of the district in accordance with the general election law. The question must be in substantially the following form:

"Shall (name of district) be authorized to establish its general corporate tax rate at (insert rate) on the equalized assessed value on taxable property located within the district for its general purposes, including education, outdoor recreation, maintenance, operations, public safety at the forest preserves, trails, and other properties of the district (and, optionally, insert any other lawful purposes or programs determined by the Board).

The ballot must have printed on it, but not as part of the proposition submitted, the following: "The approximate impact of the proposed increase on the owner of a single-family home having a market value of (insert value) would be (insert amount) in the first year of the increase if the increase is fully implemented." The ballot may have printed on it, but not as part of the proposition, one or both of the following: "The last tax rate extended for the purposes of the district was (insert rate). The last rate increase approved for the purposes of the district was in (insert year)." No other information needs to be included on the ballot.

The votes must be recorded as "Yes" or "No".

If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, the district may thereafter levy the tax.

This Section does not apply to a forest preserve district established under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act.

(Source: P.A. 92-103, eff. 7-20-01.)

(70 ILCS 805/13.1a new)

Sec. 13.1a. Forest preserve districts created under Conservation District Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a forest preserve district created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act shall have the same powers, duties, and authority as a forest preserve district created under this Act, except that it shall have the same bonding and taxing authority as a conservation district under the Conservation District Act.

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