(70 ILCS 2105/4a) (from Ch. 42, par. 386a)

Sec. 4a. Every conservancy district so established shall be governed by a board of trustees. In the statement finding the results of the election to be favorable to the establishment of the district, the circuit court shall determine and name each municipality within the district having 5,000 or more population according to the last preceding federal census.

(1) In case there is one or more municipalities having a population of 5,000 or more within the district, the trustees shall be appointed as follows:

(a) In districts organized prior to July 1, 1961, where there is only one such municipality, 3 trustees shall be appointed from such municipality, and one trustee shall be appointed from the area within the district outside of such municipality, and one trustee shall be appointed at large. In districts organized on and after July 1, 1961, where there is only one such municipality one trustee shall be appointed from such municipality, and one trustee shall be appointed from each county in the district, except that where the district is wholly contained within a single county, one trustee shall be appointed from that county and one additional trustee shall be appointed from the municipality, and, in any case, 2 trustees shall be appointed at large. A trustee appointed from a county in the district shall be appointed from the area outside any such municipality. If the district is located wholly within the corporate limits of such municipality, 3 of the trustees of the district shall be appointed from such municipality, and 2 trustees shall be appointed at large. In a district wholly contained within a single county of between 60,500 and 70,000 population and having no more than one municipality of 5,000 or more population, regardless of the date of organization, 3 trustees shall be appointed from that municipality, 2 trustees shall be appointed from the district outside that municipality, and 2 trustees shall be appointed at large. No more than 2 appointments by each appointing authority may be from the same political party.

In the case of the Saline Valley Conservancy District, in addition to the other trustees as provided in this subsection (a), the mayor of each municipality with a population of 2,000 to 4,999 that purchases water from the District may appoint one member to the Board of Trustees beginning July 1, 2023 for a 5-year term, and the member shall serve until the trustee's successor is appointed and qualified or the municipality no longer purchases water from the District. A vacancy shall be filled by the mayor of the municipality for the remainder of the term.

(b) Where there are 2 or more such municipalities, one trustee shall be appointed from each such municipality, one trustee shall be appointed from each county in the district for each 50,000 population or part thereof within the district in such county according to the last preceding federal census, and 2 trustees shall be appointed at large. A trustee appointed from a county in the district shall be appointed from the area outside any such municipality. If the district is located wholly within the corporate limits of such municipalities, 2 trustees shall be appointed from the one of such municipalities having the largest population, and one trustee shall be appointed from each of the other such municipalities, and 2 trustees shall be appointed at large.

(c) Trustees representing the area within the district located outside of any municipality having 5,000 or more population and trustees appointed at large when the district is wholly contained within a single county shall be appointed by the presiding officer of the county board with the advice and consent of the county board and any trustee representing the area within any such municipality shall be appointed by its presiding officer. If however the district is located in more than one county, any trustee representing the area within a district located outside of any municipality having 5,000 or more population and any trustee at large shall be appointed by a majority vote of the presiding officers of the county boards of the counties which encompass any part of the district, except that no such appointment shall affect the term of any trustee in office on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1977. Any trustee representing the area within any such municipality shall be appointed by its presiding officer.

(d) A trustee representing the area within any such municipality shall reside within its corporate limits. A trustee representing the area within the district and located outside of any such municipality shall reside within such area. A trustee appointed at large may reside either within or without any such municipality but must reside within the territory of the district. Should any trustee cease to reside within that part of the territory he represents, then his office shall be deemed vacated, and shall be filled by appointment for the remainder of the term as hereinafter provided.

(2) In case there are no municipalities having a population of 5,000 or more within such district located wholly within a single county, the statement required by Section 1 shall include such finding, and in such case the Board shall consist of 5 trustees who shall be appointed at large by the presiding officer of the county board with the advice and consent of the county board. If however the district is located in more than one county, the trustees at large shall be appointed by a majority vote of the presiding officers of the county boards of the counties which encompass any portion of the district, but any trustee in office on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1977 shall be permitted to serve out the remainder of his term. Each such trustee shall reside within the district and shall continue to reside therein.

(3) All initial appointments of trustees shall be made within 60 days after the determination of the result of the election. Each appointment shall be in writing and shall be filed and made a matter of record in the office of the county clerk wherein the organization proceedings were filed. A trustee shall qualify within 10 days after appointment by acceptance and the taking of the constitutional oath of office, both to be in writing and similarly filed for record in the office of such county clerk. Members initially appointed to the board of trustees of such district shall serve from date of appointment for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years and shall draw lots to determine the periods for which they each shall serve. In case there are more than 5 trustees, lots shall be drawn so that 5 trustees shall serve initial terms of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years and the other trustees shall serve terms of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 years as the number of trustees shall require and the drawing of lots shall determine. The successors of all such initial members of the board of trustees of a river conservancy district shall serve for terms of 5 years, all such appointments and appointments to fill vacancies shall be made in like manner as in the case of the initial trustees. A trustee having been duly appointed shall continue to serve after the expiration of his term until his successor has been appointed. Each trustee initially appointed in accordance with this amendatory Act of 1995 shall serve a term of 3 or 5 years as determined by lot.

(4) Should a municipality which is wholly within a district attain, or should such a municipality be established, having a population of 5,000 or more after the entry of the statement by the circuit court, the presiding officer of such municipality may petition the circuit court of the county in which such municipality lies for an order finding and determining the population of such municipality and, if it is found and determined upon the hearing of such petition that the population of such municipality is 5,000 or more, the board of trustees of such district as previously established shall be increased by one trustee who shall reside within the corporate limits of such municipality and shall be appointed by its presiding officer. The initial trustee so appointed shall serve for a term of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 years, as may be determined by lot, and his successors shall be similarly appointed and shall serve for terms of 5 years. All provisions of this Section applicable to trustees representing municipal areas shall apply to any such trustee, including paragraph 5.

(5) Should the foregoing provisions respecting the appointment of trustees representing the area within any municipality of 5,000 or more population be invalid when applied to any situation, then as to such situation any such provision shall be deemed to be excised from this Act, and the trustee whose appointment is thus affected shall be appointed at large by the presiding officer of the county board with the advice and consent of the county board except if the district embraces more than one county in which case the trustees shall be appointed at large by a majority vote of the presiding officers of the county boards of the counties which encompass any portion of the district.

(6) In the case of a board representing a district that embraces Franklin and Jefferson counties, a trustee may be removed for incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office by the appropriate appointing presiding officer or officers, without the advice and consent of the corporate authorities, by filing a written order of removal with the appropriate county or municipal clerk or clerks.

(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, in the case of a board representing a district that embraces Franklin and Jefferson counties, the terms of all trustees shall end on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly. Beginning on that date, the board shall consist of 7 trustees. The 7 trustees initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall be appointed in the same manner as otherwise provided in this Section by the appropriate appointing authority and shall serve the following terms, as determined by lot: (i) 2 trustees shall serve until July 1, 2006; (ii) 2 trustees shall serve until July 1, 2007; (iii) one trustee shall serve until July 1, 2008; (iv) one trustee shall serve until July 1, 2009; and (v) one trustee shall serve until July 1, 2010. Upon expiration of the terms of the trustees initially appointed under this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, their respective successors shall be appointed for terms of 5 years, beginning on July 1 of the year in which the previous term expires and until their respective successors are appointed and qualified. After the appointment of the trustees initially appointed pursuant to this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the number of trustees on the board may be increased in accordance with subsection (4).

(Source: P.A. 103-79, eff. 6-9-23.)