SB2635 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 19933 BDD 45677 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
SB2635

Introduced 2/4/2004, by Terry Link, William E. Peterson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

35 ILCS 200/27-25
35 ILCS 200/27-30
35 ILCS 200/27-35
35 ILCS 200/27-40
35 ILCS 200/27-45
35 ILCS 200/27-75

Amends the Property Tax Code. Sets forth additional requirements for notifications concerning: (i) the levy or imposition of a tax in a special service area; (ii) the establishment of a special service area; (iii) tax liens in a special service area; (iv) boundary alterations of a special service area; and (v) the issuance of bonds in the special service area.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning taxes.

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

Section 5. The Property Tax Code is amended by changing Sections 27-25, 27-30, 27-35, 27-40, 27-45, and 27-75 as follows:

(35 ILCS 200/27-25)

Sec. 27-25. Form of hearing notice. Taxes may be levied or imposed by the municipality or county in the special service area at a rate or amount of tax sufficient to produce revenues required to provide the special services. Prior to the first levy of taxes and prior to any increase in the rate or amount of the tax in the special service area, notice shall be given and a hearing shall be held under the provisions of Sections 27-30 and 27-35. For purposes of this Section the notice shall include:

(a) The time and place of hearing;

(b) The boundaries of the area by legal description and by street location, where possible;

(c) The estimated amount of funding required;

(d) The stated need for the proposed special service area;

(e) (c) A notification that all interested persons, including all persons owning taxable real property located within the special service area, will be given an opportunity to be heard at the hearing regarding the tax levy and an opportunity to file objections to the amount of the tax levy if the tax is a tax upon property; and

(f) (d) The maximum rate of taxes to be extended within the special service area, the estimated amount of the taxes to be levied within the special service area, in any year and the may include a maximum number of years taxes will be levied.

The taxes After the first levy, taxes may be extended against the special service area for the services specified without additional hearings. However, the taxes shall not exceed the rate specified in the notice and if a maximum number of years is specified in the notice, the taxes shall not be extended for a longer period than the number of years specified in the notice. Tax rates may be increased and the period specified may be extended, if notice is given and new public hearings are held in accordance with Sections 27-30 and 27-35.

(Source: P.A. 82-640; 88-455.)

(35 ILCS 200/27-30)

Sec. 27-30. Manner of notice. Prior to or within 60 days after the adoption of the ordinance proposing the establishment of a special service area or before an increase in the tax rate or amount the municipality or county shall fix a time and a place for a public hearing. Notice of the hearing shall be given by publication and mailing, except that notice of a public hearing to propose the establishment of a special service area for weather modification purposes may be given by publication only. Notice by publication shall be given by publication at least once not less than 15 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality or county. Notice by mailing shall be given by depositing the notice in the United States mails addressed to the person or persons in whose name the general taxes for the last preceding year were paid on each property lying within the special service area. A notice shall be mailed not less than 10 days prior to the time set for the public hearing. In the event taxes for the last preceding year were not paid, the notice shall be sent to the person last listed on the tax rolls prior to that year as the owner of the property.

(Source: P.A. 82-282; 88-455.)

(35 ILCS 200/27-35)

Sec. 27-35. Public hearing; protests and objections. At the public hearing, any interested person, including all persons owning taxable property located within the proposed or existing special service area, may file with the municipal clerk or county clerk, as the case may be, written objections to and may be heard orally in respect to any issues embodied in the notice. The municipality or county shall hear and determine all protests and objections at the hearing and the hearing may be adjourned to another date without further notice other than a motion to be entered upon the minutes fixing the time and place it will reconvene. At the public hearing or at the first regular meeting of the corporate authorities thereafter, the municipality or county may delete area from the special service area. However, the special service area must still be a contiguous area as defined in Section 27-5.

(Source: P.A. 82-640; 88-455.)

(35 ILCS 200/27-40)

Sec. 27-40. Boundaries of special service area. No lien shall be established against any real property in a special service area nor shall a special service area create a valid tax before a certified copy of an ordinance establishing or altering the boundaries of a special service area, containing a legal description of the territory of the area, a survey or plat covering the entire area, and a description of the special services to be provided is filed for record in the office of the recorder in each county in which any part of the area is located. The ordinance must be recorded no later than 60 days after the date the ordinance was adopted. An ordinance establishing a special service area recorded beyond the 60 days is not valid. The requirement for recording within 60 days shall not apply to any establishment or alteration of the boundaries of a service area that occurred before September 23, 1991.

(Source: P.A. 90-218, eff. 7-25-97.)

(35 ILCS 200/27-45)

Sec. 27-45. Issuance of bonds. Bonds secured by the full faith and credit of the area included in the special service area may be issued for providing the special services. Bonds, when so issued, shall be retired by the levy of taxes in addition to the taxes specified in Section 27-25 against all of the taxable real property included in the area as provided in the ordinance authorizing the issuance of the bonds or by the imposition of another tax within the special service area. The county clerk shall annually extend taxes against all of the taxable property situated in the county and contained in such special service area in amounts sufficient to pay maturing principal and interest of those bonds without limitation as to rate or amount and in addition to and in excess of any taxes that may now or hereafter be authorized to be levied by the municipality or county. Prior to the issuance of those bonds, notice shall be given and a hearing shall be held pursuant to the provisions of Sections 27-30 and 27-35. For purposes of this Section a notice shall include:

(a) The time and place of hearing;

(b) The boundaries of the area by legal description and by street location, where possible;

(c) The estimated amount of funding required;

(d) The stated need for the proposed special service area;

(e) A statement indicating who will be responsible for maintenance of the special services after the life of the bond;

(f) (c) A notification that all interested persons, including all persons owning taxable property located within the special service area, will be given an opportunity to be heard at the hearing regarding the issuance of the bonds and an opportunity to file objections to the issuance of the bonds; and

(g) (d) The maximum amount of bonds proposed to be issued, the maximum period of time over which the bonds will be retired, and the maximum interest rate the bonds will bear.

The question of the creation of a special service area, the levy or imposition of a tax in the special service area and the issuance of bonds for providing special services may all be considered together at one hearing.

Any bonds issued shall not exceed the number of bonds, the interest rate and the period of extension set forth in the notice, unless an additional hearing is held. Bonds issued pursuant to this Article shall not be regarded as indebtedness of the municipality or county, as the case may be, for the purpose of any limitation imposed by any law.

(Source: P.A. 82-640; 88-455.)

(35 ILCS 200/27-75)

Sec. 27-75. Extension of tax levy. If a property tax is levied, the tax shall be extended by the county clerk in the special service area in the manner provided by Articles 1 through 26 of this Code based on equalized assessed values as established under Articles 1 through 26. The municipality or county shall file a certified copy of the ordinance creating the special service area, including an accurate map thereof and the stated need for the special service area, with the county clerk. The corporate authorities of the municipality or county may levy taxes in the special service area prior to the date the levy must be filed with the county clerk, for the same year in which the ordinance and map are filed with the county clerk. In addition, the corporate authorities shall file a certified copy of each ordinance levying taxes in the special service area on or before the last Tuesday of December of each year and shall file a certified copy of any ordinance authorizing the issuance of bonds and providing for a property tax levy in the area by December 31 of the year of the first levy.

In lieu of or in addition to an ad valorem property tax, a special tax may be levied and extended within the special service area on any other basis that provides a rational relationship between the amount of the tax levied against each lot, block, tract and parcel of land in the special service area and the special service benefit rendered. In that case, a special tax roll shall be prepared containing: (a) an explanation of the method of spreading the special tax, (b) a list of lots, blocks, tracts and parcels of land in the special service area, and (c) the amount assessed against each, and (d) the stated need for the special service area. The special tax roll shall be included in the ordinance establishing the special service area or in an amendment of the ordinance, and shall be filed with the county clerk for use in extending the tax. The lien and foreclosure remedies provided in Article 9 of the Illinois Municipal Code shall apply upon non-payment of the special tax.

(Source: P.A. 83-1245; 88-455.)