Sen. Pamela J. Althoff

Filed: 5/13/2005

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 668

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 668 on page 1, by
3 replacing lines 4 and 5 with the following:
 
4     "Section 5. The Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act is
5 amended by changing Section 1 as follows:
 
6     (50 ILCS 105/1)  (from Ch. 102, par. 1)
7     Sec. 1. County board. No member of a county board, during
8 the term of office for which he or she is elected, may be
9 appointed to, accept, or hold any office other than (i)
10 chairman of the county board or member of the regional planning
11 commission by appointment or election of the board of which he
12 or she is a member, or (ii) alderman of a city or member of the
13 board of trustees of a village or incorporated town if the
14 city, village, or incorporated town has fewer than 1,000
15 inhabitants and is located in a county having fewer than 50,000
16 inhabitants, or (iii) trustee of a forest preserve district
17 created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act,
18 unless he or she first resigns from the office of county board
19 member or unless the holding of another office is authorized by
20 law. Any such prohibited appointment or election is void. This
21 Section shall not preclude a member of the county board from
22 being selected or from serving as a member of a County
23 Extension Board as provided in Section 7 of the County
24 Cooperative Extension Law, as a member of an Emergency

 

 

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1 Telephone System Board as provided in Section 15.4 of the
2 Emergency Telephone System Act, or as appointed members of the
3 board of review as provided in Section 6-30 of the Property Tax
4 Code. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit an
5 elected county official from holding elected office in another
6 unit of local government so long as there is no contractual
7 relationship between the county and the other unit of local
8 government. This amendatory Act of 1995 is declarative of
9 existing law and is not a new enactment.
10 (Source: P.A. 91-732, eff. 1-1-01; 92-111, eff. 1-1-02.)
 
11     Section 10. The Conservation District Act is amended by
12 changing Sections 5, 13, and 15 and by adding Section 18.5 as
13 follows:"; and
 
14 on page 7, immediately below line 6, by inserting the
15 following:
 
16     "(70 ILCS 410/18.5 new)
17     Sec. 18.5. Dissolution of conservation district and
18 creation of forest preserve district.
19     (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
20 if the boundaries of a conservation district are coextensive
21 with the boundaries of one county, then the county board may
22 adopt a resolution to submit the question of whether the
23 conservation district shall be dissolved and, upon the
24 dissolution of the conservation district, a forest preserve
25 district created. The question shall be submitted to the
26 electors of the conservation district at a regular election and
27 approved by a majority of the electors voting on the question.
28 The county board must certify the question to the proper
29 election authorities, which must submit the question at an
30 election in accordance with the Election Code.
31     The election authorities must submit the question in

 

 

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1 substantially the following form:
2         Shall the (insert name of conservation district) be
3     dissolved and, upon its dissolution, a forest preserve
4     district created with boundaries that are coextensive with
5     the boundaries of (insert name of county)?
6     The election authorities must record the votes as "Yes" or
7 "No".
8     If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote
9 in the affirmative, then, on the thirtieth day after the
10 results of the referendum are certified, the conservation
11 district is dissolved and the forest preserve district is
12 created. The terms of all trustees of the conservation district
13 are terminated and the county board members shall serve ex
14 officio as the commissioners of the forest preserve district.
15 The chairman of the county board shall serve as chairman of the
16 board of commissioners of the forest preserve district.
17     (b) Each county board member shall serve ex officio as a
18 commissioner of the forest preserve district until the
19 expiration of his or her term as a county board member or until
20 the member's position on the county board is otherwise vacated.
21 Upon the expiration of the term of any county board member
22 serving as a commissioner or upon the occurrence of any other
23 vacancy on the county board, the office of commissioner shall
24 be filled by that county board member's successor on the county
25 board.
26     (c) The forest preserve district shall serve as the
27 successor entity to the dissolved conservation district and
28 references to the dissolved conservation district or to its
29 officers or employees in any document, contract, agreement, or
30 law shall, in appropriate contexts, be deemed to refer to the
31 successor forest preserve district. Thirty days after the
32 dissolution of the conservation district, all of its assets,
33 liabilities, property (both real and personal), employees,
34 books, and records are transferred to the forest preserve

 

 

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1 district by operation of law. All rules and ordinances of the
2 dissolved conservation district shall remain in effect as rules
3 and ordinances of the forest preserve district until amended or
4 repealed by the forest preserve district.
5     (d) If there are any bonds of the conservation district
6 outstanding and unpaid at the time the conservation district is
7 dissolved, the forest preserve district shall be liable for
8 that bond indebtedness and the forest preserve district may
9 continue to levy and extend taxes upon the taxable property in
10 that territory for the purpose of amortizing those bonds until
11 such time as the bonds are retired.
12     (e) The county board members may be reimbursed for their
13 reasonable expenses actually incurred in performing their
14 official duties as members of the board of commissioners of the
15 forest preserve district in accordance with the provisions of
16 Section 3a of the Downstate Forest Preserve Act. Any
17 reimbursement paid under this subsection shall be paid by the
18 forest preserve district.
19     (f) A forest preserve district created under this Section
20 shall have the same powers, duties, and authority as a forest
21 preserve district created under the Downstate Forest Preserve
22 District Act, except that it shall have the same bonding and
23 taxing authority as a conservation district under the
24 Conservation District Act. To the extent that any provision of
25 this Section conflicts with any provision of the Downstate
26 Forest Preserve District Act, this Section controls.
 
27         Section 15. The Downstate Forest Preserve District Act
28 is amended by changing Sections 3c, 13 and 13.1 and by adding
29 Section 13.1a as follows:
 
30     (70 ILCS 805/3c)
31     Sec. 3c. Elected board of commissioners in certain
32 counties. If the boundaries of a district are co-extensive with

 

 

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1 the boundaries of a county having a population of more than
2 800,000 but less than 3,000,000, all commissioners of the
3 forest preserve district shall be elected from the same
4 districts as members of the county board beginning with the
5 general election held in 2002 and each succeeding general
6 election. One commissioner shall be elected from each district.
7 At their first meeting after their election in 2002 and
8 following each subsequent decennial reapportionment of the
9 county under Division 2-3 of the Counties Code, the elected
10 commissioners shall publicly by lot divide themselves into 2
11 groups, as equal in size as possible. Commissioners from the
12 first group shall serve for terms of 2, 4, and 4 years; and
13 commissioners from the second group shall serve terms of 4, 4,
14 and 2 years. Beginning with the general election in 2002, the
15 president of the board of commissioners of the forest preserve
16 district shall be elected by the voters of the county, rather
17 than by the commissioners. The president shall be a resident of
18 the county and shall be elected throughout the county for a
19 4-year term without having been first elected as commissioner
20 of the forest preserve district. Each commissioner shall be a
21 resident of the county board district from which he or she was
22 elected not later than the date of the commencement of the term
23 of office. The term of office for the president and
24 commissioners elected under this Section shall commence on the
25 first Monday of the month following the month of election.
26 Neither a commissioner nor the president of the board of
27 commissioners of that forest preserve district shall serve
28 simultaneously as member or chairman of the county board. No
29 person shall seek election to both the forest preserve
30 commission and the county board at the same election. The
31 compensation for the president shall be an amount equal to 85%
32 of the annual salary of the county board chairman. The
33 president, with the advice and consent of the board of
34 commissioners shall appoint a secretary, treasurer, and such

 

 

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1 other officers as deemed necessary by the board of
2 commissioners, which officers need not be members of the board
3 of commissioners. The president shall have the powers and
4 duties as specified in Section 12 of this Act.
5     Candidates for president and commissioner shall be
6 candidates of established political parties.
7     If a vacancy in the office of president or commissioner
8 occurs, other than by expiration of the president's or
9 commissioner's term, the forest preserve district board of
10 commissioners shall declare that a vacancy exists and
11 notification of the vacancy shall be given to the county
12 central committee of each established political party within 3
13 business days after the occurrence of the vacancy. If the
14 vacancy occurs in the office of forest preserve district
15 commissioner, the president of the board of commissioners
16 shall, within 60 days after the date of the vacancy, with the
17 advice and consent of other commissioners then serving, appoint
18 a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. The
19 appointee shall be affiliated with the same political party as
20 the commissioner in whose office the vacancy occurred and be a
21 resident of such district. If a vacancy in the office of
22 president occurs, other than by expiration of the president's
23 term, the remaining members of the board of commissioners
24 shall, within 60 days after the vacancy, appoint one of the
25 commissioners to serve as president for the remainder of the
26 unexpired term. In that case, the office of the commissioner
27 who is appointed to serve as president shall be deemed vacant
28 and shall be filled within 60 days by appointment of the
29 president with the advice and consent of the other forest
30 preserve district commissioners. The commissioner who is
31 appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of president shall be
32 affiliated with the same political party as the person who
33 occupied the office of president prior to the vacancy. A person
34 appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of president or

 

 

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1 commissioner shall establish his or her party affiliation by
2 his or her record of voting in primary elections or by holding
3 or having held an office in an established political party
4 organization before the appointment. If the appointee has not
5 voted in a party primary election or is not holding or has not
6 held an office in an established political party organization
7 before the appointment, the appointee shall establish his or
8 her political party affiliation by his or her record of
9 participating in an established political party's nomination
10 or election caucus. If, however, more than 28 months remain in
11 the unexpired term of a commissioner or the president, the
12 appointment shall be until the next general election, at which
13 time the vacated office of commissioner or president shall be
14 filled by election for the remainder of the term.
15 Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, if a vacancy occurs
16 after the last day provided in Section 7-12 of the Election
17 Code for filing nomination papers for the office of president
18 of a forest preserve district where that office is elected as
19 provided for in this Section, or as set forth in Section 7-61
20 of the Election Code, a vacancy in nomination shall be filled
21 by the passage of a resolution by the nominating committee of
22 the affected political party within the time periods specified
23 in the Election Code. The nominating committee shall consist of
24 the chairman of the county central committee and the township
25 chairmen of the affected political party. All other vacancies
26 in nomination shall be filled in accordance with the provisions
27 of the Election Code.
28     The president and commissioners elected under this Section
29 may be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses actually
30 incurred in performing their official duties under this Act in
31 accordance with the provisions of Section 3a. The reimbursement
32 paid under this Section shall be paid by the forest preserve
33 district.
34     Compensation for forest preserve commissioners elected

 

 

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1 under this Section shall be the same as that of county board
2 members of the county with which the forest preserve district's
3 boundaries are co-extensive.
4     This Section does not apply to a forest preserve district
5 created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act.
6 (Source: P.A. 91-933, eff. 12-30-00; 92-583, eff. 6-26-02.)
 
7     (70 ILCS 805/13)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6323)
8     Sec. 13. Bonds; limitation on indebtedness. The board of
9 any forest preserve district organized hereunder may, for any
10 of the purposes enumerated in this Act, borrow money upon the
11 faith and credit of such district, and may issue bonds
12 therefor. However, a district with a population of less than
13 3,000,000 may not become indebted in any manner or for any
14 purpose to an amount including existing indebtedness in the
15 aggregate exceeding 2.3% of the assessed value of the taxable
16 property therein, as ascertained by the last equalized
17 assessment for State and county purposes. No district may incur
18 (i) indebtedness in excess of .3% of the assessed value of
19 taxable property in the district, as ascertained by the last
20 equalized assessment for State and county purposes, for the
21 development of forest preserve lands held by the district, or
22 (ii) indebtedness for any other purpose except the acquisition
23 of land including acquiring lands in fee simple along or
24 enclosing water courses, drainage ways, lakes, ponds, planned
25 impoundments or elsewhere which are required to store flood
26 waters or control other drainage and water conditions necessary
27 for the preservation and management of the water resources of
28 the District, unless the proposition to issue bonds or
29 otherwise incur indebtedness is certified by the board to the
30 proper election officials who shall submit the proposition at
31 an election in accordance with the general election law, and
32 approved by a majority of those voting upon the proposition. No
33 district containing fewer than 3,000,000 inhabitants may incur

 

 

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1 indebtedness for the acquisition of land or lands for any
2 purpose in excess of 55,000 acres, including all lands
3 theretofore acquired, unless the proposition to issue bonds or
4 otherwise incur indebtedness is first submitted to the voters
5 of the district at a referendum in accordance with the general
6 election law and approved by a majority of those voting upon
7 the proposition. Before or at the time of issuing bonds, the
8 board shall provide by ordinance for the collection of an
9 annual tax sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds as it
10 falls due, and to pay the bonds as they mature. All bonds
11 issued by any forest preserve district must be divided into
12 series, the first of which matures not later than 5 years after
13 the date of issue and the last of which matures not later than
14 20 years after the date of issue.
15     This Section does not apply to a forest preserve district
16 created under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act.
17 (Source: P.A. 83-927.)
 
18     (70 ILCS 805/13.1)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 6324)
19     Sec. 13.1. Tax levies. After the first Monday in October
20 and by the first Monday in December in each year, the board
21 shall levy the general taxes for the district by general
22 categories for the next fiscal year. A certified copy of the
23 levy ordinance shall be filed with the county clerk by the last
24 Tuesday in December each year.
25     In forest preserve districts with a population of less than
26 3,000,000, the amount of taxes levied for general corporate
27 purposes for a fiscal year may not exceed the rate of .06% of
28 the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of
29 Revenue, of the taxable property therein. In addition, in
30 forest preserve districts having a population of 100,000 or
31 more but less than 3,000,000, the board may levy taxes for
32 constructing, restoring reconditioning, reconstructing and
33 acquiring improvements and for the development of the forests

 

 

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1 and lands of such district, the amount of which tax each fiscal
2 year shall be extended at a rate not to exceed .025% of the
3 assessed value of all taxable property as equalized by the
4 Department of Revenue.
5     All such taxes and rates are exclusive of the taxes
6 required for the payment of the principal of and interest on
7 bonds, and exclusive of taxes levied for employees' annuity and
8 benefit purposes.
9     The rate of tax levied for general corporate purposes in a
10 forest preserve district may not be increased by virtue of this
11 amendatory Act of 1977 unless the board first adopts a
12 resolution authorizing such increase and publishes notice
13 thereof in a newspaper having general circulation in the
14 district at least once not less than 45 days prior to the
15 effective date of the increase. The notice shall include a
16 statement of (1) the specific number of voters required to sign
17 a petition requesting that the question of the adoption of the
18 resolution be submitted to the electors of the district; (2)
19 the time in which the petition must be filed; and (3) the date
20 of the prospective referendum. The Secretary of the district
21 shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one.
22 If, no later than 30 days after the publication of such notice,
23 petitions signed by voters of the district equal to 10% or more
24 of the registered voters of the district, as determined by
25 reference to the number of voters registered at the next
26 preceding general election, and residing in the district are
27 presented to the board expressing opposition to the increase,
28 the proposition must first be certified by the board to the
29 proper election officials, who shall submit the proposition to
30 the legal voters of the district at an election in accordance
31 with the general election law and approved by a majority of
32 those voting on the proposition.
33     The rate of the tax levied for general corporate purposes
34 in a forest preserve district may be increased, up to the

 

 

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1 maximum rate identified in this Section, by the Board by a
2 resolution calling for the submission of the question of
3 increasing the rate to the voters of the district in accordance
4 with the general election law. The question must be in
5 substantially the following form:
6         "Shall (name of district) be authorized to establish
7     its general corporate tax rate at (insert rate) on the
8     equalized assessed value on taxable property located
9     within the district for its general purposes, including
10     education, outdoor recreation, maintenance, operations,
11     public safety at the forest preserves, trails, and other
12     properties of the district (and, optionally, insert any
13     other lawful purposes or programs determined by the Board).
14     The ballot must have printed on it, but not as part of the
15 proposition submitted, the following: "The approximate impact
16 of the proposed increase on the owner of a single-family home
17 having a market value of (insert value) would be (insert
18 amount) in the first year of the increase if the increase is
19 fully implemented." The ballot may have printed on it, but not
20 as part of the proposition, one or both of the following: "The
21 last tax rate extended for the purposes of the district was
22 (insert rate). The last rate increase approved for the purposes
23 of the district was in (insert year)." No other information
24 needs to be included on the ballot.
25     The votes must be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
26     If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote
27 in the affirmative, the district may thereafter levy the tax.
28     This Section does not apply to a forest preserve district
29 established under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District
30 Act.
31 (Source: P.A. 92-103, eff. 7-20-01.)
 
32     (70 ILCS 805/13.1a new)
33     Sec. 13.1a. Forest preserve districts created under

 

 

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1 Conservation District Act. Notwithstanding any other provision
2 of law to the contrary, a forest preserve district created
3 under Section 18.5 of the Conservation District Act shall have
4 the same powers, duties, and authority as a forest preserve
5 district created under this Act, except that it shall have the
6 same bonding and taxing authority as a conservation district
7 under the Conservation District Act.".