HB4559 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 12899 RLJ 26764 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB4559

Introduced 5/14/2009, by Rep. Elaine Nekritz

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/2A-1.2	from Ch. 46, par. 2A-1.2
70 ILCS 810/2.1	from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6403
70 ILCS 810/5	from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6408
70 ILCS 810/14	from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6417
70 ILCS 810/20	from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6423

Amends the Cook County Forest Preserve District Act. Provides that the commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County shall be elected from 3 specified election districts. Provides the election procedures and terms of office for the 9 commissioners. Provides that the president, with the advice and consent of the board of commissioners, must appoint a general superintendent. Provides that the general superintendent is the chief administrative officer of the district. Amends the Election Code. Provides that, at the general election in the appropriate even-numbered years, the offices of commissioner of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County shall be filled. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Section 2A-1.2 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/2A-1.2) (from Ch. 46, par. 2A-1.2)

Sec. 2A-1.2. Consolidated Schedule of Elections - Offices Designated.

(a) At the general election in the appropriate even-numbered years, the following offices shall be filled or shall be on the ballot as otherwise required by this Code:

(1) Elector of President and Vice President of the United States;

(2) United States Senator and United States Representative;

(3) State Executive Branch elected officers;

(4) State Senator and State Representative;

(5) County elected officers, including State's Attorney, County Board member, County Commissioners, and elected President of the County Board or County Chief Executive;

(6) Circuit Court Clerk;

(7) Regional Superintendent of Schools, except in counties or educational service regions in which that office has been abolished;

(8) Judges of the Supreme, Appellate and Circuit Courts, on the question of retention, to fill vacancies and newly created judicial offices;

(9) (Blank);

(10) Trustee of the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Chicago, and elected Trustee of other Sanitary Districts;

(11) Special District elected officers, not otherwise designated in this Section, where the statute creating or authorizing the creation of the district requires an annual election and permits or requires election of candidates of political parties; .

(12) Forest preserve district commissioners elected under Section 5 of the Cook County Forest Preserve District Act.

(b) At the general primary election:

(1) in each even-numbered year candidates of political parties shall be nominated for those offices to be filled at the general election in that year, except where pursuant to law nomination of candidates of political parties is made by caucus.

(2) in the appropriate even-numbered years the political party offices of State central committeeman, township committeeman, ward committeeman, and precinct committeeman shall be filled and delegates and alternate delegates to the National nominating conventions shall be elected as may be required pursuant to this Code. In the even-numbered years in which a Presidential election is to be held, candidates in the Presidential preference primary shall also be on the ballot.

(3) in each even-numbered year, where the municipality has provided for annual elections to elect municipal officers pursuant to Section 6(f) or Section 7 of Article VII of the Constitution, pursuant to the Illinois Municipal Code or pursuant to the municipal charter, the offices of such municipal officers shall be filled at an election held on the date of the general primary election, provided that the municipal election shall be a nonpartisan election where required by the Illinois Municipal Code. For partisan municipal elections in even-numbered years, a primary to nominate candidates for municipal office to be elected at the general primary election shall be held on the Tuesday 6 weeks preceding that election.

(4) in each school district which has adopted the provisions of Article 33 of the School Code, successors to the members of the board of education whose terms expire in the year in which the general primary is held shall be elected.

(c) At the consolidated election in the appropriate odd-numbered years, the following offices shall be filled:

(1) Municipal officers, provided that in municipalities in which candidates for alderman or other municipal office are not permitted by law to be candidates of political parties, the runoff election where required by law, or the nonpartisan election where required by law, shall be held on the date of the consolidated election; and provided further, in the case of municipal officers provided for by an ordinance providing the form of government of the municipality pursuant to Section 7 of Article VII of the Constitution, such offices shall be filled by election or by runoff election as may be provided by such ordinance;

(2) Village and incorporated town library directors;

(3) City boards of stadium commissioners;

(4) Commissioners of park districts;

(5) Trustees of public library districts;

(6) Special District elected officers, not otherwise designated in this section, where the statute creating or authorizing the creation of the district permits or requires election of candidates of political parties;

(7) Township officers, including township park commissioners, township library directors, and boards of managers of community buildings, and Multi-Township Assessors;

(8) Highway commissioners and road district clerks;

(9) Members of school boards in school districts which adopt Article 33 of the School Code;

(10) The directors and chairman of the Chain O Lakes - Fox River Waterway Management Agency;

(11) Forest preserve district commissioners elected under Section 3.5 of the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act;

(12) Elected members of school boards, school trustees, directors of boards of school directors, trustees of county boards of school trustees (except in counties or educational service regions having a population of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants) and members of boards of school inspectors, except school boards in school districts that adopt Article 33 of the School Code;

(13) Members of Community College district boards;

(14) Trustees of Fire Protection Districts;

(15) Commissioners of the Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority;

(16) Elected Trustees of Tuberculosis Sanitarium Districts;

(17) Elected Officers of special districts not otherwise designated in this Section for which the law governing those districts does not permit candidates of political parties.

(d) At the consolidated primary election in each odd-numbered year, candidates of political parties shall be nominated for those offices to be filled at the consolidated election in that year, except where pursuant to law nomination of candidates of political parties is made by caucus, and except those offices listed in paragraphs (12) through (17) of subsection (c).

At the consolidated primary election in the appropriate odd-numbered years, the mayor, clerk, treasurer, and aldermen shall be elected in municipalities in which candidates for mayor, clerk, treasurer, or alderman are not permitted by law to be candidates of political parties, subject to runoff elections to be held at the consolidated election as may be required by law, and municipal officers shall be nominated in a nonpartisan election in municipalities in which pursuant to law candidates for such office are not permitted to be candidates of political parties.

At the consolidated primary election in the appropriate odd-numbered years, municipal officers shall be nominated or elected, or elected subject to a runoff, as may be provided by an ordinance providing a form of government of the municipality pursuant to Section 7 of Article VII of the Constitution.

(e) (Blank).

(f) At any election established in Section 2A-1.1, public questions may be submitted to voters pursuant to this Code and any special election otherwise required or authorized by law or by court order may be conducted pursuant to this Code.

Notwithstanding the regular dates for election of officers established in this Article, whenever a referendum is held for the establishment of a political subdivision whose officers are to be elected, the initial officers shall be elected at the election at which such referendum is held if otherwise so provided by law. In such cases, the election of the initial officers shall be subject to the referendum.

Notwithstanding the regular dates for election of officials established in this Article, any community college district which becomes effective by operation of law pursuant to Section 6-6.1 of the Public Community College Act, as now or hereafter amended, shall elect the initial district board members at the next regularly scheduled election following the effective date of the new district.

(g) At any election established in Section 2A-1.1, if in any precinct there are no offices or public questions required to be on the ballot under this Code then no election shall be held in the precinct on that date.

(h) There may be conducted a referendum in accordance with the provisions of Division 6-4 of the Counties Code.

(Source: P.A. 89-5, eff. 1-1-96; 89-95, eff. 1-1-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96; 90-358, eff. 1-1-98.)

Section 10. The Cook County Forest Preserve District Act is amended by changing Sections 2.1, 5, 14, and 20 as follows:

(70 ILCS 810/2.1) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6403)

Sec. 2.1. Definition of board. "Board" means the board of commissioners for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County county board of commissioners when acting as the governing body of a forest preserve district.

(Source: P.A. 80-320.)

(70 ILCS 810/5) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6408)

Sec. 5. Election of commissioners. Prior to December 6, 2010, the The county board of commissioners of the county in which a forest preserve district is located shall be the forest preserve district board of such district and the president of the county board shall be the president of the forest preserve district board. The members shall act without any other pay than that already provided by law.

Beginning on December 6, 2010, the affairs of the district shall be managed by a board of commissioners consisting of 9 members. Beginning with the general election held in 2010 and at each succeeding general election, the commissioners shall be elected from the 3 election districts for the Cook County Board of Review created under Section 5-5 of the Property Tax Code. Candidates for commissioner shall not be candidates of established political parties, but shall be non-partisan. Each commissioner must be a resident of the election district for at least one year prior to the commencement of the term of office. Nomination of candidates for the office of commissioner at the initial and each succeeding election shall be made by petition signed in the aggregate for each candidate by not less than 1,000 qualified voters of the election district.

At the 2010 general election, 3 commissioners shall be elected from each election district. No later than 30 days after the 2010 general election, the county clerk shall divide the commissioners publicly by lot into 3 equal groups, with one commissioner from each election district in each group. Commissioners or their successors from group one shall be elected to initial terms of 6 years. Commissioners or their successors from the second group shall be elected to initial terms of 4 years. The commissioners or their successors from the third group shall be elected to initial terms of 2 years. Thereafter, each commissioner shall be elected for a 6-year term. The commissioners shall elect from their number a president for a 2-year term.

The term of office for the commissioners elected under this Section shall begin on the first Monday of the month following the month of the election. Each commissioner before entering upon the duties of his or her office shall take an oath to faithfully discharge his or her duties as a commissioner. The commissioners shall hold their office until their successors are elected and qualified. No commissioner shall serve simultaneously as a commissioner and a member or chairperson of another countywide elected board, commission, or agency.

If a vacancy in the position of board president or commissioner occurs, other than by expiration of the president's or commissioner's term, the board shall declare that a vacancy exists. If the vacancy occurs in the office of the president, the board shall, within 30 days after the date of the vacancy, appoint a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term or until his or her successor is elected and qualified. If a vacancy occurs in the office of forest preserve district commissioner, the president of the board shall, within 60 days after the date of the vacancy, with the advice and consent of the other commissioners then serving, appoint a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term or until his or her successor is elected and qualified. If more than 28 months remain in the unexpired term of a commissioner, the appointment shall be until the next general election, at which time the vacated office shall be filled by election for the remainder of the term.

All commissioners elected or appointed under this Section shall serve without compensation, but they shall be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses actually incurred in performing their official duties.

(Source: P.A. 80-320.)

(70 ILCS 810/14) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6417)

Sec. 14. Powers of board; officers. The board, as corporate authority of a forest preserve district, shall have power to pass and enforce all necessary ordinances, rules and regulations for the management of the property and conduct of the business of such district. The board shall set the policies and goals for the district. The president of such board, with the advice and consent of the board of commissioners, must appoint a general superintendent to manage the forest preserve district and shall have power to appoint a secretary and an assistant secretary, and treasurer and an assistant treasurer and such other officers and such employees as may be necessary, all of whom, excepting the treasurer and attorneys, shall be under civil service rules and regulations, as provided in Section 17 of this Act. The appointed officers do not need to be members of the board. The general superintendent is the chief administrative officer of the district and shall supervise and be responsible for all administrative and operational matters of the forest preserve district. The general superintendent must be a resident of the forest preserve district. He or she must be selected solely based on his or her administrative and technical qualifications and without regard to his or her political affiliations. The general superintendent shall not serve simultaneously as the general superintendent and a commissioner. The assistant secretary and assistant treasurer shall perform the duties of the secretary and treasurer, respectively, in case of death of said officers or when said officers are unable to perform the duties of their respective offices because of absence or inability to act. All contracts for supplies, material or work involving an expenditure by forest preserve districts in excess of $25,000 shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, after due advertisement, excepting work requiring personal confidence or necessary supplies under the control of monopolies, where competitive bidding is impossible. Contracts for supplies, material or work involving an expenditure of $25,000 or less may be let without advertising for bids, but whenever practicable, at least 3 competitive bids shall be obtained before letting such contract. All contracts for supplies, material or work shall be signed by the president of the board and by any such other officer as the board in its discretion may designate.

Salaries of employees shall be fixed by ordinance.

(Source: P.A. 94-951, eff. 6-27-06.)

(70 ILCS 810/20) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6423)

Sec. 20. Duties of president; vote of board. The president shall preside at all meetings of the board and be the executive officer of the district. He or she shall sign all ordinances, resolutions and other papers necessary to be signed and shall execute all contracts entered into by the district and perform other duties as may be prescribed by ordinance. In the case of a special meeting, the president shall cause notice to be given to all members as provided by the rule of the board. He may veto any ordinance and any orders, resolutions and actions, or any items therein contained, of the board which provide for the purchase of real estate, or for the construction of improvements within the preserves of the district. Such veto shall be filed with the secretary of the board within 5 days after the passage of the ordinance, order, resolution or action and when so vetoed the ordinance, order, resolution or action or any item therein contained is not effective unless it is again passed by two-thirds vote of all the members of the board. The president may vote in the same manner as the other members of the board. In the temporary absence or inability of the president, the members of the board may elect from their own number a president, pro tem.

The "Yeas" and "Nays" shall be taken, and entered on the journal of the board's proceedings, upon the passage of all ordinances and all proposals to create any liability, or for the expenditure or appropriation of money. The concurrence of a majority of all the members appointed to the board is necessary to the passage of any such ordinance or proposal. In all other cases the "Yeas" and "Nays" shall be taken at the request of any member of the board and shall be entered on the journal of the board's proceedings.

(Source: P.A. 80-320.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.