100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB4175

 

Introduced , by Rep. Steven Reick

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
605 ILCS 5/6-135
605 ILCS 5/6-134 rep.

    Amends the Illinois Highway Code. Provides that before a township may submit a referendum to abolish a road district under a provision in the Code, the township shall prepare, through an independent entity, a cost study demonstrating that the abolishment is cost efficient and that the township is capable of carrying out its required duties and responsibilities on the date of abolishment. Defines "independent entity". Repeals a provision allowing a township that is located outside of Cook County with 15 or more miles of roads to abolish a road district of that township. Effective January 1, 2018.


LRB100 14814 AXK 29634 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4175LRB100 14814 AXK 29634 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Highway Code is amended by changing
5Section 6-135 as follows:
 
6    (605 ILCS 5/6-135)
7    (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a
8delayed effective date)
9    Sec. 6-135. Abolishing a road district with less than 15
10miles of roads.
11    (a) Any township in a county with a population less than
123,000,000 may abolish a road district of that township if the
13roads of the road district are less than 15 miles in length, as
14determined by the county engineer or county superintendent of
15highways, by resolution of a majority of the board of trustees
16to submit a referendum to abolish the road district of that
17township. The referendum shall be submitted to the electors of
18that township at the next general election or consolidated
19election in accordance with the general election law. The
20ballot shall be in substantially the following form:
21--------
22    Shall the Road District of the Township of

 

 

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1........... be abolished with all the rights,YES
2powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities,
3obligations, and responsibilities being assumed --------
4by the Township of ........... ?NO
5--------
6    (a-5) Before a township may submit a referendum to abolish
7a road district under subsection (a) of this Section, the
8township shall prepare, through an independent entity, a cost
9study demonstrating that the abolishment is cost efficient and
10that the township is capable of carrying out the duties and
11responsibilities under subsection (b) of this Section on the
12date of abolishment. If the cost study finds that the
13abolishment is not cost efficient or that the township is not
14capable of carrying out the duties and responsibilities, or
15both, the township may not submit a referendum under subsection
16(a) of this Section. For purposes of this subsection (a-5),
17"independent entity" means a consulting firm with experience in
18economics and local government finance that does not have an
19existing agreement for services in the township or with the
20county in which the township is located.
21    (b) If a majority of the electors voting on the referendum
22under subsection (a) of this Section are in favor of abolishing
23the township road district, then the road district is abolished
24on the January 1 following the approval of the referendum or on
25the date the term of the highway commissioner in office at the
26time the referendum was approved expires, whichever is later.

 

 

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1    On the date of abolishment: all the rights, powers, duties,
2assets, property, liabilities, obligations, and
3responsibilities of the road district shall by operation of law
4vest in and be assumed by the township; the township board of
5trustees shall assume all taxing authority of a road district
6abolished under this Section; any highway commissioner of the
7abolished road district shall cease to hold office; the
8township shall exercise all duties and responsibilities of the
9highway commissioner as provided in the Illinois Highway Code;
10and for purposes of distribution of revenue, the township shall
11assume the powers, duties, and obligations of the road
12district. The township board of trustees may enter into a
13contract with the county, a municipality, or a private
14contractor to administer the roads added to its jurisdiction
15under this Section.
16(Source: P.A. 100-107, eff. 1-1-18.)
 
17    (605 ILCS 5/6-134 rep.)
18    Section 10. The Illinois Highway Code is amended by
19repealing Section 6-134.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
211, 2018.