96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB3755

 

Introduced 2/25/2009, by Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50

    Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that "unless otherwise specified" in another provision of the Illinois Municipal Code, an elective office becomes vacant in a municipality with a population of under 500,000 if certain specified events occur.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
5 changing Section 3.1-10-50 as follows:
 
6     (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-50)
7     Sec. 3.1-10-50. Events upon which an elective office
8 becomes vacant in municipality with population under 500,000.
9 Unless otherwise specified in another provision of this Code,
10 an elective office becomes vacant in a municipality with a
11 population of under 500,000 if any of the following events
12 occur.
13     (a) Vacancy by resignation. A resignation is not effective
14 unless it is in writing, signed by the person holding the
15 elective office, and notarized.
16         (1) Unconditional resignation. An unconditional
17     resignation by a person holding the elective office may
18     specify a future date, not later than 60 days after the
19     date the resignation is received by the officer authorized
20     to fill the vacancy, at which time it becomes operative,
21     but the resignation may not be withdrawn after it is
22     received by the officer authorized to fill the vacancy. The
23     effective date of a resignation that does not specify a

 

 

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1     future date at which it becomes operative is the date the
2     resignation is received by the officer authorized to fill
3     the vacancy. The effective date of a resignation that has a
4     specified future effective date is that specified future
5     date or the date the resignation is received by the officer
6     authorized to fill the vacancy, whichever date occurs
7     later.
8         (2) Conditional resignation. A resignation that does
9     not become effective unless a specified event occurs can be
10     withdrawn at any time prior to the occurrence of the
11     specified event, but if not withdrawn, the effective date
12     of the resignation is the date of the occurrence of the
13     specified event or the date the resignation is received by
14     the officer authorized to fill the vacancy, whichever date
15     occurs later.
16         (3) Vacancy upon the effective date. For the purpose of
17     determining the time period that would require an election
18     to fill the vacancy by resignation or the commencement of
19     the 60-day time period referred to in subsection (e), the
20     resignation of an elected officer is deemed to have created
21     a vacancy as of the effective date of the resignation.
22         (4) Duty of the clerk. If a resignation is delivered to
23     the clerk of the municipality, the clerk shall forward a
24     certified copy of the written resignation to the official
25     who is authorized to fill the vacancy within 7 business
26     days after receipt of the resignation.

 

 

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1     (b) Vacancy by death or disability. A vacancy occurs in an
2 office by reason of the death of the incumbent. The date of the
3 death may be established by the date shown on the death
4 certificate. A vacancy occurs in an office by permanent
5 physical or mental disability rendering the person incapable of
6 performing the duties of the office. The corporate authorities
7 have the authority to make the determination whether an officer
8 is incapable of performing the duties of the office because of
9 a permanent physical or mental disability. A finding of mental
10 disability shall not be made prior to the appointment by a
11 court of a guardian ad litem for the officer or until a duly
12 licensed doctor certifies, in writing, that the officer is
13 mentally impaired to the extent that the officer is unable to
14 effectively perform the duties of the office. If the corporate
15 authorities find that an officer is incapable of performing the
16 duties of the office due to permanent physical or mental
17 disability, that person is removed from the office and the
18 vacancy of the office occurs on the date of the determination.
19     (c) Vacancy by other causes.
20         (1) Abandonment and other causes. A vacancy occurs in
21     an office by reason of abandonment of office; removal from
22     office; or failure to qualify; or more than temporary
23     removal of residence from the municipality; or in the case
24     of an alderman of a ward or councilman or trustee of a
25     district, more than temporary removal of residence from the
26     ward or district, as the case may be. The corporate

 

 

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1     authorities have the authority to determine whether a
2     vacancy under this subsection has occurred. If the
3     corporate authorities determine that a vacancy exists, the
4     office is deemed vacant as of the date of that
5     determination for all purposes including the calculation
6     under subsections (e), (f), and (g).
7         (2) Guilty of a criminal offense. An admission of guilt
8     of a criminal offense that upon conviction would disqualify
9     the municipal officer from holding the office, in the form
10     of a written agreement with State or federal prosecutors to
11     plead guilty to a felony, bribery, perjury, or other
12     infamous crime under State or federal law, constitutes a
13     resignation from that office, effective on the date the
14     plea agreement is made. For purposes of this Section, a
15     conviction for an offense that disqualifies a municipal
16     officer from holding that office occurs on the date of the
17     return of a guilty verdict or, in the case of a trial by
18     the court, on the entry of a finding of guilt.
19         (3) Election declared void. A vacancy occurs on the
20     date of the decision of a competent tribunal declaring the
21     election of the officer void.
22     (d) Election of an acting mayor or acting president. The
23 election of an acting mayor or acting president pursuant to
24 subsection (f) or (g) does not create a vacancy in the original
25 office of the person on the city council or as a trustee, as
26 the case may be, unless the person resigns from the original

 

 

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1 office following election as acting mayor or acting president.
2 If the person resigns from the original office following
3 election as acting mayor or acting president, then the original
4 office must be filled pursuant to the terms of this Section and
5 the acting mayor or acting president shall exercise the powers
6 of the mayor or president and shall vote and have veto power in
7 the manner provided by law for a mayor or president. If the
8 person does not resign from the original office following
9 election as acting mayor or acting president, then the acting
10 mayor or acting president shall exercise the powers of the
11 mayor or president but shall be entitled to vote only in the
12 manner provided for as the holder of the original office and
13 shall not have the power to veto. If the person does not resign
14 from the original office following election as acting mayor or
15 acting president, and if that person's original term of office
16 has not expired when a mayor or president is elected and has
17 qualified for office, the acting mayor or acting-president
18 shall return to the original office for the remainder of the
19 term thereof.
20     (e) Appointment to fill alderman or trustee vacancy. An
21 appointment by the mayor or president or acting mayor or acting
22 president, as the case may be, of a qualified person as
23 described in Section 3.1-10-5 of this Code to fill a vacancy in
24 the office of alderman or trustee must be made within 60 days
25 after the vacancy occurs. Once the appointment of the qualified
26 person has been forwarded to the corporate authorities, the

 

 

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1 corporate authorities shall act upon the appointment within 30
2 days. If the appointment fails to receive the advice and
3 consent of the corporate authorities within 30 days, the mayor
4 or president or acting mayor or acting president shall appoint
5 and forward to the corporate authorities a second qualified
6 person as described in Section 3.1-10-5. Once the appointment
7 of the second qualified person has been forwarded to the
8 corporate authorities, the corporate authorities shall act
9 upon the appointment within 30 days. If the appointment of the
10 second qualified person also fails to receive the advice and
11 consent of the corporate authorities, then the mayor or
12 president or acting mayor or acting president, without the
13 advice and consent of the corporate authorities, may make a
14 temporary appointment from those persons who were appointed but
15 whose appointments failed to receive the advice and consent of
16 the corporate authorities. The person receiving the temporary
17 appointment shall serve until an appointment has received the
18 advice and consent and the appointee has qualified or until a
19 person has been elected and has qualified, whichever first
20 occurs.
21     (f) Election to fill vacancies in municipal offices with
22 4-year terms. If a vacancy occurs in an elective municipal
23 office with a 4-year term and there remains an unexpired
24 portion of the term of at least 28 months, and the vacancy
25 occurs at least 130 days before the general municipal election
26 next scheduled under the general election law, then the vacancy

 

 

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1 shall be filled for the remainder of the term at that general
2 municipal election. Whenever an election is held for this
3 purpose, the municipal clerk shall certify the office to be
4 filled and the candidates for the office to the proper election
5 authorities as provided in the general election law. If a
6 vacancy occurs with less than 28 months remaining in the
7 unexpired portion of the term or less than 130 days before the
8 general municipal election, then:
9         (1) Mayor or president. If the vacancy is in the office
10     of mayor or president, the vacancy must be filled by the
11     corporate authorities electing one of their members as
12     acting mayor or acting president. Except as set forth in
13     subsection (d), the acting mayor or acting president shall
14     perform the duties and possess all the rights and powers of
15     the mayor or president until a mayor or president is
16     elected at the next general municipal election and has
17     qualified. However, in villages with a population of less
18     than 5,000, if each of the trustees either declines the
19     election as acting president or is not elected by a
20     majority vote of the trustees presently holding office,
21     then the trustees may elect, as acting president, any other
22     village resident who is qualified to hold municipal office,
23     and the acting president shall exercise the powers of the
24     president and shall vote and have veto power in the manner
25     provided by law for a president.
26         (2) Alderman or trustee. If the vacancy is in the

 

 

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1     office of alderman or trustee, the vacancy must be filled
2     by the mayor or president or acting mayor or acting
3     president, as the case may be, in accordance with
4     subsection (e).
5         (3) Other elective office. If the vacancy is in any
6     elective municipal office other than mayor or president or
7     alderman or trustee, the mayor or president or acting mayor
8     or acting president, as the case may be, must appoint a
9     qualified person to hold the office until the office is
10     filled by election, subject to the advice and consent of
11     the city council or the board of trustees, as the case may
12     be.
13     (g) Vacancies in municipal offices with 2-year terms. In
14 the case of an elective municipal office with a 2-year term, if
15 the vacancy occurs at least 130 days before the general
16 municipal election next scheduled under the general election
17 law, the vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the term
18 at that general municipal election. If the vacancy occurs less
19 than 130 days before the general municipal election, then:
20         (1) Mayor or president. If the vacancy is in the office
21     of mayor or president, the vacancy must be filled by the
22     corporate authorities electing one of their members as
23     acting mayor or acting president. Except as set forth in
24     subsection (d), the acting mayor or acting president shall
25     perform the duties and possess all the rights and powers of
26     the mayor or president until a mayor or president is

 

 

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1     elected at the next general municipal election and has
2     qualified. However, in villages with a population of less
3     than 5,000, if each of the trustees either declines the
4     election as acting president or is not elected by a
5     majority vote of the trustees presently holding office,
6     then the trustees may elect, as acting president, any other
7     village resident who is qualified to hold municipal office,
8     and the acting president shall exercise the powers of the
9     president and shall vote and have veto power in the manner
10     provided by law for a president.
11         (2) Alderman or trustee. If the vacancy is in the
12     office of alderman or trustee, the vacancy must be filled
13     by the mayor or president or acting mayor or acting
14     president, as the case may be, in accordance with
15     subsection (e).
16         (3) Other elective office. If the vacancy is in any
17     elective municipal office other than mayor or president or
18     alderman or trustee, the mayor or president or acting mayor
19     or acting president, as the case may be, must appoint a
20     qualified person to hold the office until the office is
21     filled by election, subject to the advice and consent of
22     the city council or the board of trustees, as the case may
23     be.
24     (h) In cases of vacancies arising by reason of an election
25 being declared void pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection
26 (c), persons holding elective office prior thereto shall hold

 

 

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1 office until their successors are elected and qualified or
2 appointed and confirmed by advice and consent, as the case may
3 be.
4     (i) This Section applies only to municipalities with
5 populations under 500,000.
6 (Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05; 95-646, eff. 1-1-08.)