(70 ILCS 410/18.1)

Sec. 18.1. Organization as a forest preserve district. The voters of a conservation district that is entirely within one county may, by a single referendum proposition, dissolve the conservation district under Section 18 of this Act and incorporate as a forest preserve district under Section 1 the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act. The referendum may be placed on the ballot upon either of the following:

(1) An ordinance by the county board of the county in which the district lies requiring the referendum.

(2) The filing of a petition with the board of trustees signed by the electors of the district equal in number to 8% or more of the total number of votes cast for Governor district-wide in the most recent gubernatorial election asking that the question of whether the district shall be dissolved and organized as a forest preserve district.

The Secretary of the board of trustees of the county board or the board of trustees, as appropriate, shall certify the proposition to the appropriate election authorities who shall submit the proposition at a consolidated or general election according to the Election Code. The Election Code shall apply to and govern the election.

The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:

Shall (insert name) Conservation District be dissolved under the provisions of Section 18 of the Conservation District Act and be organized as a forest preserve district under the provisions of the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act?

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

If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition are in the affirmative, the conservation district shall be deemed to be dissolved under Section 18 of the Conservation District Act and the territory shall be incorporated as a forest preserve district under Section 1 of the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act. The resulting forest preserve district shall not be deemed to be the legal successor or assign of the dissolved conservation district.

(Source: P.A. 95-54, eff. 8-10-07.)