Public Act 0523 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0100 Enrolled LRB101 06953 AWJ 51986 b

Public Act 101-0523

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Sections 2A-41 and 7-12 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/2A-41) (from Ch. 46, par. 2A-41)

Sec. 2A-41. Sanitary District - Trustee - Time of Election. A trustee of a Sanitary District which elects its trustees, other than the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago or the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District, shall be elected at the general election in each even-numbered year which immediately precedes the expiration of the term of any incumbent trustee, to succeed each incumbent trustee whose term ends before the following general election.

(Source: P.A. 80-936.)

(10 ILCS 5/7-12) (from Ch. 46, par. 7-12)

Sec. 7-12. All petitions for nomination shall be filed by mail or in person as follows:

(1) Where the nomination is to be made for a State, congressional, or judicial office, or for any office a nomination for which is made for a territorial division or district which comprises more than one county or is partly in one county and partly in another county or counties (including the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District), then, except as otherwise provided in this Section, such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 113 and not less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary, but, in the case of petitions for nomination to fill a vacancy by special election in the office of representative in Congress from this State, such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 85 days and not less than 82 days prior to the date of the primary.

Where a vacancy occurs in the office of Supreme, Appellate or Circuit Court Judge within the 3-week period preceding the 106th day before a general primary election, petitions for nomination for the office in which the vacancy has occurred shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 92 nor less than 85 days prior to the date of the general primary election.

Where the nomination is to be made for delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating convention, then such petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 113 and not less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary; provided, however, that if the rules or policies of a national political party conflict with such requirements for filing petitions for nomination for delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating convention, the chair of the State central committee of such national political party shall notify the Board in writing, citing by reference the rules or policies of the national political party in conflict, and in such case the Board shall direct such petitions to be filed in accordance with the delegate selection plan adopted by the state central committee of such national political party.

(2) Where the nomination is to be made for a county office or trustee of a sanitary district then such petition shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more than 113 nor less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary.

(3) Where the nomination is to be made for a municipal or township office, such petitions for nomination shall be filed in the office of the local election official, not more than 99 nor less than 92 days prior to the date of the primary; provided, where a municipality's or township's boundaries are coextensive with or are entirely within the jurisdiction of a municipal board of election commissioners, the petitions shall be filed in the office of such board; and provided, that petitions for the office of multi-township assessor shall be filed with the election authority.

(4) The petitions of candidates for State central committeeperson shall be filed in the principal office of the State Board of Elections not more than 113 nor less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary.

(5) Petitions of candidates for precinct, township or ward committeepersons shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more than 113 nor less than 106 days prior to the date of the primary.

(6) The State Board of Elections and the various election authorities and local election officials with whom such petitions for nominations are filed shall specify the place where filings shall be made and upon receipt shall endorse thereon the day and hour on which each petition was filed. All petitions filed by persons waiting in line as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day for filing, or as of the normal opening hour of the office involved on such day, shall be deemed filed as of 8:00 a.m. or the normal opening hour, as the case may be. Petitions filed by mail and received after midnight of the first day for filing and in the first mail delivery or pickup of that day shall be deemed as filed as of 8:00 a.m. of that day or as of the normal opening hour of such day, as the case may be. All petitions received thereafter shall be deemed as filed in the order of actual receipt. However, 2 or more petitions filed within the last hour of the filing deadline shall be deemed filed simultaneously. Where 2 or more petitions are received simultaneously, the State Board of Elections or the various election authorities or local election officials with whom such petitions are filed shall break ties and determine the order of filing, by means of a lottery or other fair and impartial method of random selection approved by the State Board of Elections. Such lottery shall be conducted within 9 days following the last day for petition filing and shall be open to the public. Seven days written notice of the time and place of conducting such random selection shall be given by the State Board of Elections to the chair of the State central committee of each established political party, and by each election authority or local election official, to the County Chair of each established political party, and to each organization of citizens within the election jurisdiction which was entitled, under this Article, at the next preceding election, to have pollwatchers present on the day of election. The State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official shall post in a conspicuous, open and public place, at the entrance of the office, notice of the time and place of such lottery. The State Board of Elections shall adopt rules and regulations governing the procedures for the conduct of such lottery. All candidates shall be certified in the order in which their petitions have been filed. Where candidates have filed simultaneously, they shall be certified in the order determined by lot and prior to candidates who filed for the same office at a later time.

(7) The State Board of Elections or the appropriate election authority or local election official with whom such a petition for nomination is filed shall notify the person for whom a petition for nomination has been filed of the obligation to file statements of organization, reports of campaign contributions, and annual reports of campaign contributions and expenditures under Article 9 of this Act. Such notice shall be given in the manner prescribed by paragraph (7) of Section 9-16 of this Code.

(8) Nomination papers filed under this Section are not valid if the candidate named therein fails to file a statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act in relation to his candidacy with the appropriate officer by the end of the period for the filing of nomination papers unless he has filed a statement of economic interests in relation to the same governmental unit with that officer within a year preceding the date on which such nomination papers were filed. If the nomination papers of any candidate and the statement of economic interest of that candidate are not required to be filed with the same officer, the candidate must file with the officer with whom the nomination papers are filed a receipt from the officer with whom the statement of economic interests is filed showing the date on which such statement was filed. Such receipt shall be so filed not later than the last day on which nomination papers may be filed.

(9) Any person for whom a petition for nomination, or for committeeperson or for delegate or alternate delegate to a national nominating convention has been filed may cause his name to be withdrawn by request in writing, signed by him and duly acknowledged before an officer qualified to take acknowledgments of deeds, and filed in the principal or permanent branch office of the State Board of Elections or with the appropriate election authority or local election official, not later than the date of certification of candidates for the consolidated primary or general primary ballot. No names so withdrawn shall be certified or printed on the primary ballot. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person with respect to more than one political party, his name shall not be certified nor printed on the primary ballot of any party. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person for 2 or more offices which are incompatible so that the same person could not serve in more than one of such offices if elected, that person must withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices within the 5 business days following the last day for petition filing. A candidate in a judicial election may file petitions for nomination for only one vacancy in a subcircuit and only one vacancy in a circuit in any one filing period, and if petitions for nomination have been filed for the same person for 2 or more vacancies in the same circuit or subcircuit in the same filing period, his or her name shall be certified only for the first vacancy for which the petitions for nomination were filed. If he fails to withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices within such time his name shall not be certified, nor printed on the primary ballot, for any office. For the purpose of the foregoing provisions, an office in a political party is not incompatible with any other office.

(10)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other statute, no primary shall be held for an established political party in any township, municipality, or ward thereof, where the nomination of such party for every office to be voted upon by the electors of such township, municipality, or ward thereof, is uncontested. Whenever a political party's nomination of candidates is uncontested as to one or more, but not all, of the offices to be voted upon by the electors of a township, municipality, or ward thereof, then a primary shall be held for that party in such township, municipality, or ward thereof; provided that the primary ballot shall not include those offices within such township, municipality, or ward thereof, for which the nomination is uncontested. For purposes of this Article, the nomination of an established political party of a candidate for election to an office shall be deemed to be uncontested where not more than the number of persons to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers seeking the nomination of such party for election to such office.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other statute, no primary election shall be held for an established political party for any special primary election called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the office of representative in the United States Congress where the nomination of such political party for said office is uncontested. For the purposes of this Article, the nomination of an established political party of a candidate for election to said office shall be deemed to be uncontested where not more than the number of persons to be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers seeking the nomination of such established party for election to said office. This subsection (b) shall not apply if such primary election is conducted on a regularly scheduled election day.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions in subparagraph (a) and (b) of this paragraph (10), whenever a person who has not timely filed valid nomination papers and who intends to become a write-in candidate for a political party's nomination for any office for which the nomination is uncontested files a written statement or notice of that intent with the State Board of Elections or the local election official with whom nomination papers for such office are filed, a primary ballot shall be prepared and a primary shall be held for that office. Such statement or notice shall be filed on or before the date established in this Article for certifying candidates for the primary ballot. Such statement or notice shall contain (i) the name and address of the person intending to become a write-in candidate, (ii) a statement that the person is a qualified primary elector of the political party from whom the nomination is sought, (iii) a statement that the person intends to become a write-in candidate for the party's nomination, and (iv) the office the person is seeking as a write-in candidate. An election authority shall have no duty to conduct a primary and prepare a primary ballot for any office for which the nomination is uncontested unless a statement or notice meeting the requirements of this Section is filed in a timely manner.

(11) If multiple sets of nomination papers are filed for a candidate to the same office, the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official where the petitions are filed shall within 2 business days notify the candidate of his or her multiple petition filings and that the candidate has 3 business days after receipt of the notice to notify the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official that he or she may cancel prior sets of petitions. If the candidate notifies the State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or local election official, the last set of petitions filed shall be the only petitions to be considered valid by the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official. If the candidate fails to notify the State Board of Elections, election authority or local election official then only the first set of petitions filed shall be valid and all subsequent petitions shall be void.

(12) All nominating petitions shall be available for public inspection and shall be preserved for a period of not less than 6 months.

(Source: P.A. 99-221, eff. 7-31-15; 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)

Section 10. The Sanitary District Act of 1917 is amended by changing Section 3 as follows:

(70 ILCS 2405/3) (from Ch. 42, par. 301)

Sec. 3. Board of trustees; creation; term. A board of trustees shall be created, consisting of 5 members in any sanitary district which includes one or more municipalities with a population of over 90,000 but less than 500,000 according to the most recent Federal census, and consisting of 3 members in any other district. However, the board of trustees for the Fox River Water Reclamation District, the Sanitary District of Decatur, and the Northern Moraine Wastewater Reclamation District shall each consist of 5 members. Each board of trustees shall be created for the government, control and management of the affairs and business of each sanitary district organized under this Act shall be created in the following manner:

(1) If the district's corporate boundaries are located wholly within a single county, the presiding officer of the county board, with the advice and consent of the county board, shall appoint the trustees for the district;

(2) If the district's corporate boundaries are located in more than one county, the members of the General Assembly whose legislative districts encompass any portion of the district shall appoint the trustees for the district.

In any sanitary district which shall have a 3 member board of trustees, within 60 days after the adoption of such act, the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint three trustees not more than 2 of whom shall be from one incorporated city, town or village in districts in which are included 2 or more incorporated cities, towns or villages, or parts of 2 or more incorporated cities, towns or villages, who shall hold their office respectively for 1, 2 and 3 years, from the first Monday of May next after their appointment and until their successors are appointed and have qualified, and thereafter on or before the second Monday in April of each year the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint one trustee whose term shall be for 3 years commencing the first Monday in May of the year in which he is appointed. The length of the term of the first trustees shall be determined by lot at their first meeting.

In the case of any sanitary district created after January 1, 1978 in which a 5 member board of trustees is required, the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint 5 trustees, one of whom shall hold office for one year, two of whom shall hold office for 2 years, and 2 of whom shall hold office for 3 years from the first Monday of May next after their respective appointments and until their successors are appointed and have qualified. Thereafter, on or before the second Monday in April of each year the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint one trustee or 2 trustees, as shall be necessary to maintain a 5 member board of trustees, whose terms shall be for 3 years commencing the first Monday in May of the year in which they are respectively appointed. The length of the terms of the first trustees shall be determined by lot at their first meeting.

In any sanitary district created prior to January 1, 1978 in which a 5 member board of trustees is required as of January 1, 1978, the two trustees already serving terms which do not expire on May 1, 1978 shall continue to hold office for the remainders of their respective terms, and 3 trustees shall be appointed by the appropriate appointing authority by April 10, 1978 and shall hold office for terms beginning May 1, 1978. Of the three new trustees, one shall hold office for 2 years and 2 shall hold office for 3 years from May 1, 1978 and until their successors are appointed and have qualified. Thereafter, on or before the second Monday in April of each year the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint one trustee or 2 trustees, as shall be necessary to maintain a 5 member board of trustees, whose terms shall be for 3 years commencing the first Monday in May of the year in which they are respectively appointed. The lengths of the terms of the trustees who are to hold office beginning May 1, 1978 shall be determined by lot at their first meeting after May 1, 1978.

No more than 3 members of a 5 member board of trustees may be of the same political party; except that in any sanitary district which otherwise meets the requirements of this Section and which lies within 4 counties of the State of Illinois or, prior to April 30, 2008, in the Fox River Water Reclamation District; the appointments of the 5 members of the board of trustees shall be made without regard to political party. Beginning with the appointments made on April 30, 2008, all appointments to the board of trustees of the Fox River Water Reclamation District shall be made so that no more than 3 of the 5 members are from the same political party.

Beginning with the 2021 municipal election, the board of trustees of the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District shall be elected as provided in this paragraph. The election of trustees shall be in accordance with Section 2A-1.1 of the Election Code. Any board member serving on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly whose term does not expire in 2021 shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualified. The board of trustees of the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District shall: on or before January 1, 2020, divide the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District into 5 trustee districts and assign the trustee districts to reflect the results of the most recent federal decennial census; and thereafter, in the year following each decennial census, redistrict the trustee districts to reflect the results of the most recent census. The board of trustees shall consist of 1 elected trustee in each trustee district. A petition for nomination for election of a trustee of the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District shall contain at least 100 signatures of registered voters residing within the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District. The trustees shall be elected for staggered terms at the election as provided by the Election Code. Two trustees shall be elected at the 2021 election, and 3 trustees shall be elected at the following consolidated election. Elected trustees shall take office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the month following the month of their election and shall hold their offices for 4 years and until their successors are elected and qualified. If a vacancy occurs before the 2021 election on the board of trustees of the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District: (i) the District Manager shall, no later than 7 days from the date of the vacancy, notify the State legislators representing any portion of the District, publish notification of the vacancy on the District's website, and send notification of the vacancy to local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations; (ii) each notification published or sent shall contain instructions on how to apply to the District Manager for the vacant trustee position; (iii) applications for the vacancy shall be accepted for at least 30 days after the date the notification of the vacancy was published and sent; (iv) applications for the vacancy shall include a letter of interest and resume; (v) once the application period has closed, the District Manager shall forward all applications received to the State legislators notified of the vacancy in item (i); (vi) the President of the board of trustees and the District Manager shall hold a public meeting with the State legislators notified of the vacancy to review all applications and, by unanimous vote of all State legislators representing any portion of the District, select a candidate to fill the trustee vacancy; and (vii) the board of trustees shall appoint the selected candidate at the next board of trustees meeting. If a vacancy exists after the 2021 election on the board of trustees of the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the president of the board of trustees, with the advice and consent of the members of the board of trustees, until the next regular election at which trustees of the district are elected, and shall be made a matter of record in the office of the county clerk in the county where the district is located; for a vacancy filled by appointment, the portion of the unexpired term remaining after the next regular election at which trustees of the district are elected shall be filled by election, as provided for in this paragraph.

Within 60 days after the release of Federal census statistics showing that a sanitary district having a 3 member board of trustees contains one or more municipalities with a population over 90,000 but less than 500,000, or, for the Northern Moraine Wastewater Reclamation District, within 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint 2 additional trustees to the board of trustees, one to hold office for 2 years and one to hold office for 3 years from the first Monday of May next after their appointment and until their successors are appointed and have qualified. The lengths of the terms of these two additional members shall be determined by lot at the first meeting of the board of trustees held after the additional members take office. The three trustees already holding office in the sanitary district shall continue to hold office for the remainders of their respective terms. Thereafter, on or before the second Monday in April of each year the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint one trustee or 2 trustees, as shall be necessary to maintain a 5 member board of trustees, whose terms shall be for 3 years commencing the first Monday in May of the year in which they are respectively appointed.

If any sanitary district having a 5 member board of trustees shall cease to contain one or more municipalities with a population over 90,000 but less than 500,000 according to the most recent Federal census, then, for so long as that sanitary district does not contain one or more such municipalities, on or before the second Monday in April of each year the appropriate appointing authority shall appoint one trustee whose term shall be for 3 years commencing the first Monday in May of the year in which he is appointed. In districts which include 2 or more incorporated cities, towns, or villages, or parts of 2 or more incorporated cities, towns, or villages, all of the trustees shall not be from one incorporated city, town or village.

If a vacancy occurs on any board of trustees, the appropriate appointing authority shall within 60 days appoint a trustee who shall hold office for the remainder of the vacated term.

The appointing authority shall require each of the trustees to enter into bond, with security to be approved by the appointing authority, in such sum as the appointing authority may determine.

A majority of the board of trustees shall constitute a quorum but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day. No trustee or employee of such district shall be directly or indirectly interested in any contract, work or business of the district, or the sale of any article, the expense, price or consideration of which is paid by such district; nor in the purchase of any real estate or property belonging to the district, or which shall be sold for taxes or assessments, or by virtue of legal process at the suit of the district. Provided, that nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting the appointment or selection of any person as trustee or employee whose only interest in the district is as owner of real estate in the district or of contributing to the payment of taxes levied by the district. The trustees shall have the power to provide and adopt a corporate seal for the district.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Section, in any sanitary district created prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1985, in which a five member board of trustees has been appointed and which currently includes one or more municipalities with a population of over 90,000 but less than 500,000, the board of trustees shall consist of five members.

Except as otherwise provided for vacancies, in the event that the appropriate appointing authority fails to appoint a trustee under this Section, the appropriate appointing authority shall reconvene and appoint a successor on or before July 1 of that year.

(Source: P.A. 98-407, eff. 1-1-14; 98-828, eff. 8-1-14.)

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

Effective Date: 8/23/2019