Public Act 0666 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4418 Enrolled LRB098 16296 JLK 51356 b

Public Act 098-0666

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by adding Section 10-4-12 as follows:

(65 ILCS 5/10-4-12 new)

Sec. 10-4-12. Cessation of existing municipal fire departments. If a city or village with 500 or more residents owns, operates, or maintains any fire department or departments, that city or village may not cease the operation and maintenance of that fire department or those fire departments unless the proposed cessation is first submitted by referendum to the voters of the city or village as provided by Section 15b of the Fire Protection District Act.

Section 10. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by changing Section 11b and by adding Section 15b as follows:

(70 ILCS 705/11b) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 31b)

Sec. 11b. In case any fire protection district organized hereunder is coterminous with or includes within its corporate limits in whole or in part any city, village or incorporated town authorized to provide protection from fire and to regulate the prevention and control of fire within such city, village or incorporated town and to levy taxes for any such purposes, then such city, village or incorporated town shall not exercise any such powers as necessarily conflict with the powers to be exercised by such district in respect to such fire protection and regulation within the fire protection district from and after the date that it receives written notice from the State Fire Marshal to cease or refrain from the operation of any fire protection facilities and the exercise of such powers, which notice shall be given only after the State Fire Marshal has ascertained that the Fire Protection District has placed its fire protection facilities in operation. Such city, village or incorporated town shall not thereafter own, operate, maintain, manage, control or have an interest in any fire protection facilities located within the corporate limits of the fire protection district, except water mains and hydrants and except as otherwise provided in this Act. Where any city, village, or incorporated town with 500 or mre residents is in fact owning, operating, and maintaining a fire department or fire departments located in whole or in part within or adjacent to the corporate limits of a fire protection district organized under this Act, such city, village, or incorporated town shall not cease operating and maintaining the fire department or departments unless such proposed cessation of services is first submitted by referendum to voters, as provided by Section 15b of this Act. In addition, where any city, village, or incorporated town is in fact owning, operating, and maintaining a fire department or fire departments located within the corporate limits of a fire protection district organized under this Act, such city, village, or incorporated town The State Fire Marshal, upon request of the Board of Trustees of any Fire Protection District, shall ascertain whether the District's fire protection facilities are in operation so that it may supersede the power of any city, village or incorporated town to operate fire protection facilities within the boundaries of the District. Where in case any city, village or incorporated town is in fact owning, operating and maintaining fire protection facilities located within the corporate limits of a fire protection district organized under this Act, such city, village or incorporated town shall be paid and reimbursed for its actual expenditures and for all existing obligations incurred, including all pension and annuity plans applicable to the maintenance of fire protection facilities theretofore made in establishing such facilities and in acquiring, constructing, improving or developing any such existing facilities in the manner provided for by this Act. The terms of payment shall provide for reimbursement in full within not less than 20 years from the date of such agreement.

(Source: P.A. 80-147.)

(70 ILCS 705/15b new)

Sec. 15b. Petition to cease operations; referendum.

(a) Any local unit of government serving 500 or more residents operating a fire department organized under the provisions of the Municipal Code may cease the operation and maintenance of the fire department or fire departments by submitting a referendum to the voters served by the fire department or departments. The referendum proposing the dissolution of the fire department or departments shall be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the requirements provided by subsection (a) of this Section, except that the ballot for such election shall be in substantially the following form: -------------------------------------------------------------

Shall the (name of fire department) serving the citizens with YES (list local unit(s) of government) cease ------------------------------------------------------------- to provide emergency services and be NO dissolved and discontinued? -------------------------------------------------------------

If a majority of the votes cast on the question are in favor of such dissolution, the court shall enter an order discontinuing the fire department or departments.

The rights of the employees of the dissolved fire department or departments provided by the Personnel Code, any applicable collective bargaining agreements, or under any pension, retirement, or annuity plan shall not be affected by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

(b) A municipality that is a home rule or non-home rule unit may not dissolve a fire department or fire departments in a manner that is inconsistent with this Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and functions exercised by the State.

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.38 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.38 new)

Sec. 8.38. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.