(55 ILCS 5/5-1031.1)

Sec. 5-1031.1. Home rule real estate transfer taxes.

(a) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and subject to this Section, a home rule county may impose or increase a tax or other fee on the privilege of transferring title to real estate, on the privilege of transferring a beneficial interest in real property, and on the privilege of transferring a controlling interest in a real estate entity, as the terms "beneficial interest", "controlling interest", and "real estate entity" are defined in Article 31 of the Property Tax Code. Such a tax or other fee shall hereafter be referred to as a real estate transfer tax.

(b) Before adopting a resolution to submit the question of imposing or increasing a real estate transfer tax to referendum, the corporate authorities shall give public notice of and hold a public hearing on the intent to submit the question to referendum. This hearing may be part of a regularly scheduled meeting of the corporate authorities. The notice shall be published not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the county. The notice shall be published in the following form:

Notice of Proposed (Increased) Real Estate Transfer Tax for (commonly known name of county).

A public hearing on a resolution to submit to referendum the question of a proposed (increased) real estate transfer tax for (legal name of the county) in an amount of (rate) to be paid by the buyer (seller) of the real estate transferred will be held on (date) at (time) at (location). The current rate of real estate transfer tax imposed by (name of county) is (rate).

Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing and present testimony to the taxing district may do so.

(c) A notice that includes any information not specified and required by this Section is an invalid notice. All hearings shall be open to the public. At the public hearing, the corporate authorities of the county shall explain the reasons for the proposed or increased real estate transfer tax and shall permit persons desiring to be heard an opportunity to present testimony within reasonable time limits determined by the corporate authorities. A copy of the proposed ordinance shall be made available to the general public for inspection before the public hearing.

(d) No home rule county shall impose a new real estate transfer tax after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1996 without prior approval by referendum. No home rule county shall impose an increase of the rate of a current real estate transfer tax without prior approval by referendum. A home rule county may impose a new real estate transfer tax or may increase an existing real estate transfer tax with prior referendum approval. The referendum shall be conducted as provided in subsection (e). An existing ordinance or resolution imposing a real estate transfer tax may be amended without approval by referendum if the amendment does not increase the rate of the tax or add transactions on which the tax is imposed.

(e) The home rule county shall, by resolution, provide for submission of the proposition to the voters. The home rule county shall certify the resolution and the proposition to the proper election officials in accordance with the general election law. If the proposition is to impose a new real estate transfer tax, it shall be in substantially the following form: "Shall (name of county) impose a real estate transfer tax at a rate of (rate) to be paid by the buyer (seller) of the real estate transferred, with the revenue of the proposed transfer tax to be used for (purpose)?". If the proposition is to increase an existing real estate transfer tax, it shall be in the following form: "Shall (name of county) impose a real estate transfer tax increase of (percent increase) to establish a new real estate transfer tax rate of (rate) to be paid by the buyer (seller) of the real estate transferred? The current rate of the real estate transfer tax is (rate), and the revenue is used for (purpose). The revenue from the increase is to be used for (purpose).".

If a majority of the electors voting on the proposition vote in favor of it, the county may impose or increase the real estate transfer tax.

(f) Nothing in this amendatory Act of 1996 shall limit the purposes for which real estate transfer tax revenues may be collected or expended.

(g) A home rule county may not impose real estate transfer taxes other than as authorized by this Section. This Section is a denial and limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection (g) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.

(h) Notwithstanding subsection (g) of this Section, any real estate transfer taxes adopted by a county at any time prior to January 17, 1997 (the effective date of Public Act 89-701) and any amendments to any existing real estate transfer tax ordinance adopted after that date, in accordance with the law in effect at the time of the adoption of the amendments, are not preempted by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 93-657, eff. 6-1-04.)