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1     AN ACT creating a commission to study the problems and
2 organic laws pertaining to local government.
 
3     WHEREAS, Many of the local governmental units in the State
4 of Illinois were established under provisions of the Illinois
5 Constitution of 1870; and
6     WHEREAS, There have been rapid changes in the population of
7 Illinois in numbers, in concentration, and in movement, as well
8 as vast economic, social, and technological changes, that
9 strain the ability of Illinois local governments adequately to
10 furnish necessary services; and
11     WHEREAS, Illinois local governments were conceived to
12 serve a rural society; in areas not experiencing the impact of
13 modern changes, they may be adequate, but in areas of great
14 change, notably the urban areas, they are not sufficiently
15 flexible, do not have adequate powers and financing, and are
16 not responsive to present-day needs in transportation, health,
17 water supply, water pollution, air pollution, recreation,
18 disposal of sewage, and disposal of refuse; and
19     WHEREAS, The inadequacies in Illinois local governments
20 have resulted in the creation of numerous functional local
21 governments all competing for financial and jurisdictional
22 support from the same area; therefore,
 
23     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
24 represented in the General Assembly:
 
25     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Local
26 Government Consolidation Commission Act.
 
27     Section 5. Commission; creation; members. There is created
28 a Commission on Local Government, to consist of 17 members, 3
29 to be members of the Senate appointed by the President of the
30 Senate, 3 to be members of the Senate appointed by the Senate
31 Minority Leader, 3 to be members of the House of
32 Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, 3 to be

 

 

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1 members of the House of Representatives appointed by the House
2 Minority Leader, and 5 to be citizens of the State appointed by
3 the Governor as follows:
4     (1) One member selected from recommendations provided by an
5 association representing counties;
6     (2) One member selected from recommendations provided by an
7 association representing municipalities;
8     (3) One member selected from recommendations provided by an
9 association representing townships;
10     (4) One member selected from recommendations provided by an
11 association representing park districts; and
12     (5) One member who serves as an elected officer of a local
13 governmental entity in Illinois other than a county,
14 municipality, township, or park district.
 
15     Section 10. Study; recommendations. The Commission shall
16 make a survey of the entire structure of local governments and
17 of their organization, powers, jurisdiction, and functions.
18 Among other things, and without limiting its activities, the
19 Commission shall:
20     (1) Study all laws governing the organization, powers,
21 jurisdiction, and functions of local governments.
22     (2) Study the inter-relationships of local governments to
23 each other and to federal and State governments.
24     (3) Formulate specific recommendations for legislation or
25 constitutional amendments to (i) permit effective management
26 of local affairs, (ii) encourage local policy decision making,
27 (iii) reduce the multiplicity of local governments, (iv)
28 eliminate overlapping and duplicating of unnecessary powers,
29 (v) increase efficiency and economy in local governments, and
30 (vi) allow optional forms of local governments and increase
31 their authority for cooperation among the levels of government.
 
32     Section 15. Meetings; officers. The members of the
33 Commission shall meet and the Commission shall be organized
34 within 90 days after the effective date of this Act, and shall

 

 

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1 at that time elect a chair from among the members. The
2 Commission may adopt its own rules of procedure. The Commission
3 may employ or use the services of specialists in public
4 administration and governmental management and any other
5 trained consultants, analysts, investigators, and assistants
6 it may consider necessary, on either a full-time or a part-time
7 basis. The Commission shall fix the compensation for any paid
8 employees, which shall be paid from moneys appropriated for
9 that purpose.
 
10     Section 20. Compensation; expenses. The members of the
11 Commission shall serve without compensation, but their actual
12 traveling and other expenses while engaged in performance of
13 the duties of the commission shall be paid from moneys
14 appropriated for that purpose.
 
15     Section 25. Report. The Commission shall render its final
16 report to the General Assembly not later than December 31,
17 2006, setting out its findings and recommendations and
18 proposing those measures it considers necessary to effect
19 essential changes and improvements in the existing laws
20 relating to any or all of the matters enumerated in Section 10
21 of this Act.
 
22     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
23 becoming law.