Sen. Terry Link

Filed: 3/12/2013

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1681

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1681 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Unified Fire Protection District.
 
6    Section 5. Purpose and creation.
7    (a) Purpose. The General Assembly finds the consolidation
8of fire protection services on a regional basis provided by
9fire departments throughout the State of Illinois to be an
10economic benefit. Therefore, this Act establishes procedures
11for the creation of Unified Fire Protection Districts that
12encompass wider service areas by combining existing fire
13departments and extending service areas of these departments
14into under-served geographic areas. It is the expressed intent
15of the General Assembly that Unified Fire Protection Districts
16shall achieve a net savings in the cost of providing fire

 

 

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1protection services, emergency medical services, and related
2services in the expanded service area by reducing and
3eliminating costs including, but not limited to, duplicative or
4excessive administrative and operational services, equipment,
5facilities, and capital expenditures, without a reduction in
6the quality or level of these services.
7    (b) Creation. A Unified Fire Protection District may be
8formed by:
9        (1) filing voter-initiated petitions for the purposes
10    of integrating existing service areas of contiguous units
11    of local government to achieve the purposes of this Act; or
12        (2) entering into intergovernmental agreements made by
13    and among existing units of local government providing fire
14    protection services, if these agreements are approved by a
15    voter referendum should a petition for such referendum be
16    initiated by voters of any affected individual unit of
17    government in accordance with the procedures of this Act.
 
18    Section 10. Definitions. The definitions in this Section
19apply throughout this Act unless the context clearly requires
20otherwise:
21    "Board" means the governing body of a Unified Fire
22Protection District.
23    "Fire protection jurisdiction" means a fire protection
24district, municipal fire department, or service organized
25under Section 5-1056.1 of the Counties Code, Sections 195 and

 

 

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1200 of the Illinois Township Code, Section 10-2.1 of the
2Illinois Municipal Code, or the Illinois Fire Protection
3District Act.
4    "Intergovernmental Authority" means the governing bodies
5of 2 or more adjacent fire protection jurisdictions who meet
6for the limited purpose of creating a Unified Fire Protection
7District without referendum approval in accordance with the
8provisions of this Act.
9    "Plan" means a plan developed by a Planning Committee or
10the parties pursuant to a petition to create a Unified Fire
11Protection District for a particular geographic area. These
12plans shall cover the financing of a District project or
13projects including, but not limited to, specific capital
14projects, maintaining the quality and level of fire operations
15and emergency service operations, and the preservation and
16maintenance of existing or future facilities.
17    "Property Tax" or "Tax" has the same meaning as the term
18"Tax", as defined in Section 1-145 of the Property Tax Code.
19    "Planning Committee" means the advisory committee created
20under Sections 4.01, 4.02 of the Fire Protection District Act
21to facilitate the combination of fire protection services and
22create Unified Fire Protection Districts to achieve the
23purposes of this Act.
24    "Special mediator" shall be a member of the bar of the
25State of Illinois or member of the faculty of an accredited law
26school. A "special mediator" shall have practiced law for at

 

 

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1least 7 years and be knowledgeable about municipal, labor,
2employment, and election law. A "special mediator" shall be
3free of any conflicts of interests. A "special mediator" shall
4have strong mediation skills and the temperament and training
5to listen well, facilitate communication, and assist with
6negotiations. "Special mediators" shall have sufficient
7experience and familiarity with municipal, labor, employment,
8and election law to provide a credible evaluation and
9assessment of relative positions.
10    "Unified Fire Protection District" or "District" means a
11county, municipal corporation, fire protection district,
12township, or unit of local government, as defined under the
13meaning of Article VII, Section 1 of the Illinois State
14Constitution, that has boundaries that are coextensive with 2
15or more adjacent fire protection jurisdictions and has been
16created by either a referendum under this Act, or by agreement
17under Article VII of Section 10 of the Illinois Constitution,
18the Illinois Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, and the
19provisions of this Act.
 
20    Section 15. Elections and referenda. If a referendum must
21be submitted under this Act for approval or rejection by the
22electors, the time and manner of conducting a referendum,
23including petition signature requirements, shall be in
24accordance with the general election law of the State. The
25creation of any Unified Fire Protection District by referendum

 

 

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1shall be secured by an intergovernmental agreement that
2includes terms that meet the standards set forth in Section 25
3of this Act.
 
4    Section 20. Notice to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
5Whenever a county clerk or other election authority places upon
6a ballot the question of creating or altering a District, or
7upon recording of an intergovernmental agreement creating a
8District, the clerk or other election authority shall notify
9the Office of the State Fire Marshal that the proposition is to
10be put before the electorate or has been recorded, as
11appropriate. The notice shall be sent to the Office of the
12State Fire Marshal within 10 working days after the question is
13certified to the clerk or other election authority, or the
14intergovernmental agreement is recorded.
 
15    Section 25. Creation of a District by petition and
16referendum.
17    (a) Petition. A Unified Fire Protection District may be
18formed upon petition signed by the lesser of: (i) at least 100
19legal voters in each of the units of local government proposed
20to be unified; or (ii) 10% of the legal voters in each of the
21units of local government to be included in the Unified Fire
22Protection District. The petition shall be filed in the circuit
23court of the county in which the greater part of the land of
24the proposed Unified Fire Protection District shall be

 

 

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1situated. The petition shall set forth the names of the units
2of local government proposed to be included, the name of the
3proposed Unified Fire Protection District, the benefits of
4consolidating the units of local government within a Unified
5Fire Protection District, and whether the trustees shall be
6elected or appointed. Upon its filing, the petition shall be
7presented to the court, and the court shall fix the date and
8hour for a hearing.
9    (b) Notice of Hearing. Upon the filing of the petition, the
10court shall set a hearing date that is at least 4 weeks, but
11not more than 8 weeks, after the date the petition is filed.
12The court, or the clerk or sheriff upon order of the court,
13shall give notice 21 days before the hearing in one or more
14daily or weekly newspapers of general circulation in each
15county where an affected unit of local government is organized
16and by posting at least 10 copies of the notice in conspicuous
17places within the proposed District. The notice must describe
18the units of local government to be included and shall state
19that if the conditions required by this Section are met, then
20the proposition for the creation of the District shall be
21submitted to the voters of the units of local government in the
22proposed District by order of the court.
23    (c) Hearing and referendum. To certify a question for
24referendum, the court must find that: (i) based upon a
25preponderance of the evidence, the representatives of each of
26the parties to the proposed District has executed an

 

 

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1intergovernmental agreement that includes terms that are in
2compliance with the requirement under subsection (d) of this
3Section; and (ii) the terms of an agreed-upon intergovernmental
4agreement have been approved by the requisite governing bodies
5of each of the units of local government and any collective
6bargaining units involved.
7    At the hearing, the court shall first determine if the
8petition is supported by the required number of valid
9signatures of legal voters within the contiguous units of local
10government.
11    (d) Joint Committee. If the petition is proper, then the
12court shall remand the matter to a special mediator who shall
13mediate the negotiations regarding the terms of an
14intergovernmental agreement by the members of the Joint
15Committee. The court shall allow appointments to the Joint
16Committee as follows:
17        (1) A representative of each unit of local government
18    included within the proposed service area of the proposed
19    District.
20        (2) A representative of each exclusive bargaining unit
21    that is a party to a collective bargaining agreement with a
22    fire protection jurisdiction within a unit of local
23    government included within the proposed District.
24        (3) A representative for the petitioners from each unit
25    of local government included within the proposed District,
26    chosen from among the legal voters that signed the

 

 

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1    petition.
2        (4) The special mediator assigned to the Joint
3    Committee shall be selected by the members of the Joint
4    Committee from a panel of 7 individuals provided by the
5    Joint Labor Management Committee. The panel shall be
6    selected at random from a master list consisting of at
7    least 14 qualified special mediators maintained by the
8    Joint Labor Management Committee, as it is defined in
9    Section 50 of the Fire Department Promotion Act. If the
10    members fail to agree, the court shall appoint the special
11    mediator.
12    After selection, the special mediator shall schedule a
13meeting of the Joint Committee and facilitate the members in
14negotiating the terms of an intergovernmental agreement. The
15Joint Committee may take note or give due consideration to
16available resources, studies, and plans that may facilitate the
17resolution of issues relating to the terms of an agreement.
18Negotiations may continue for a period of 90 days or, if the
19court determines that additional time will facilitate
20agreement, longer.
21    If no agreement is reached, the court shall dismiss the
22petition. If an agreement is reached, the court shall schedule
23an evidentiary hearing with notice to determine if the terms of
24the agreement are in compliance with the requirements of
25subsection (e) of this Section.
26    An agreement shall be executed by at least 2 of the 3 Joint

 

 

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1Committee representatives appointed by the court for each unit
2of local government included in the proposed District. If the
3agreement is executed by representatives of at least 2 units of
4local government included in the original petition, then the
5petition may proceed, provided that the agreement is executed
6by at least 2 of 3 Joint Committee representatives within 2 or
7more units of local government included in the original
8petition. The units of local government that did not consent to
9inclusion shall be dismissed, and an amended petition on behalf
10of the consenting units shall be scheduled for an evidentiary
11hearing.
12    The persons or entities, or their duly authorized
13representatives, that shall have standing to present evidence
14at the hearing are the petitioners, the units of local
15government that shall be included in the proposed District, and
16representatives of each exclusive bargaining unit that is a
17party to a collective bargaining unit with a fire protection
18jurisdiction within a unit of local government included within
19the proposed District.
20    If the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence,
21that the petition is supported by a proper intergovernmental
22agreement, the court shall enter an order certifying the
23proposition to the proper election officials, who shall submit
24the question of the creation of the proposed District to the
25legal voters of each included unit of local government at the
26next election. Notice of the election shall be given and the

 

 

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1election conducted in the manner provided by the general
2election law. The notice shall state the boundaries of the
3proposed District.
4    The question shall be submitted in substantially the
5following form:
6        Shall the service areas of (names of existing units of
7    local government to be combined) be combined to create the
8    (name of the Unified Fire Protection District)?
9    Responses shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
10    A written statement of the election results shall be filed
11with the court. If, in each unit of local government included
12within the boundaries of the Unified Fire Protection District,
13a majority of the voters voting on the question shall favor the
14proposition, then the court shall issue an order stating that
15the Unified District has been approved.
16    (e) Intergovernmental agreement; minimum standards of
17service. The terms of the intergovernmental agreement shall
18ensure that all of the following standards of service are met:
19        (1) The formation of the District shall result in no
20    net increase in the cost of fire protection services and
21    emergency medical services to each unit of local government
22    due to the reduction or elimination of duplicative
23    administrative costs, operational costs, equipment costs,
24    or capital expenditures unless members of the Joint
25    Committee can demonstrate that an increase in the cost to a
26    participating unit of local government is justified by a

 

 

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1    corresponding increase in the level of services provided to
2    a participating unit of local government under the terms of
3    the intergovernmental agreement.
4        (2) The formation of the District shall not increase
5    the average response times in any included unit of local
6    government.
7        (3) Districts shall have no independent ability to levy
8    taxes and shall rely on the fiscal support and
9    contributions from component fire protection
10    jurisdictions, as required under the terms of the
11    intergovernmental agreement.
12        (4) The District shall apply savings in operating costs
13    as follows: A minimum of 50% of cost savings shall be
14    contributed, pro rata, to the Firemen's Pension Fund of
15    each included unit of local government as applicable. Those
16    contributions shall be applied as a credit to reduce the
17    unfunded accrued liability of the Fund, if one exists. If
18    no unfunded accrued liabilities exist, the savings in
19    operating costs shall be divided into equal amounts and
20    applied to reduce the contributions otherwise required by
21    the unit of government and its firefighter employees under
22    the Pension Code.
 
23    Section 30. Creation of a District by an Intergovernmental
24Authority. The governing bodies of 2 or more adjacent fire
25protection jurisdictions may commence and implement action to

 

 

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1adopt a proposed Plan pursuant to Section 10 of Article VII of
2the Illinois Constitution and the Illinois Intergovernmental
3Cooperation Act and create a Unified Fire Protection District.
4    (a) Notice. The governing body of a fire protection
5jurisdiction seeking to implement and adopt a Plan under
6Section 50 of this Act through an Intergovernmental Authority
7shall publish a written notice regarding their intentions and
8hold a public hearing.
9    If the fire protection jurisdiction is located entirely in
10one county, the notice shall be published in an English
11language newspaper of general circulation published in the fire
12protection jurisdiction, or, if no such newspaper exists, then
13in an English language newspaper of general circulation
14published in the county and having circulation in the fire
15protection jurisdiction.
16    If the fire protection jurisdiction is located primarily in
17one county but extends into smaller portions of adjoining
18counties, the notice shall be published in a newspaper of
19general circulation published in the Fire Protection
20Jurisdiction, or, if no such newspaper exists, then in a
21newspaper of general circulation published in each county in
22which any part of the fire protection jurisdiction is located.
23    If the fire protection jurisdiction includes all or a large
24portion of two or more counties, the notice shall be published
25in a newspaper of general circulation published in each county
26in which any part of the fire protection jurisdiction is

 

 

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1located.
2    The notice shall appear not more than 30 and no less than
310 days prior to the date of the public hearing.
4    (b) All hearings shall be open to the public. The corporate
5authority of each participating fire protection jurisdiction
6to an Intergovernmental Authority shall explain the reasons for
7the proposed creation of an Unified Fire Protection District
8and provide persons with an opportunity to present testimony
9within reasonable time limits, as determined by the corporate
10entities of the affected fire protection jurisdictions.
11    (c) An Intergovernmental Authority, under the provisions
12of this Section, may, on its own initiative or shall upon
13receiving notice that a petition has been filed under Section
1425 of this Act, convert the proposed District into a District
15formed by petition, subject to approval by the affected voters
16in accordance with the procedures of this Act.
17    (d) Adoption of Plan. An Intergovernmental Authority,
18following each participating fire protection jurisdiction's
19approval and open hearing, shall adopt a Plan as set forth in
20Section 50 of this Act.
21    (e) Dissolution. Any participating fire protection
22jurisdiction to an Intergovernmental Authority may withdraw
23upon 10 days written notice to all other fire protection
24jurisdictions that are members of the Intergovernmental
25Authority. An Intergovernmental Authority shall dissolve
26within 120 days of its first meeting should it not adopt a

 

 

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1Unified Fire Protection District Plan.
 
2    Section 35. Judicial Notice. All courts in this State shall
3take judicial notice of the existence of any District organized
4under this Act, and every such District shall constitute a body
5corporate that may sue or be sued in all courts.
 
6    Section 40. Support. Notwithstanding any provision of this
7Act, a Unified Fire Protection District, whether created by
8referendum or an Intergovernmental Authority, may receive
9supplementary funding, fiscal support, or other revenue or
10property consideration from the State, including the Office of
11the State Fire Marshal, a county, or any other unit of local
12government to defray the expenses of organizing a new District
13or as may be deemed necessary or appropriate, and may be
14appropriated by that entity to the Authority.
 
15    Section 45. Enforcement of an intergovernmental agreement.
16In the event of a default, the District shall be authorized to
17secure collection of promised contributions from the unit of
18local government by intercepting: (1) monies deposited or to be
19deposited into any special fund of the defaulting unit of local
20government; or (2) grants or other revenues or taxes expected
21to be received by the unit of local government from the State
22or Federal government, including taxes imposed by the
23governmental unit pursuant to a grant of authority by the

 

 

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1State, such as sales or use taxes or utility taxes.
2    Any interception authorized under this Section by the
3District shall be valid and binding from the time the
4interception is made. The revenues, monies, and other funds
5intercepted and to be intercepted by the District shall
6immediately be subject to the District's lien. The lien shall
7be valid and binding against all parties having claims of any
8kind in tort, contract, or otherwise against the defaulting
9unit of local government, irrespective of whether such parties
10have notice. Under any such interception, a defaulting unit of
11local government may bind itself to impose rates, charges, or
12taxes to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Any
13ordinance, resolution, trust agreement, or other instrument by
14which a lien is created shall be filed in the records of the
15District.
16    The State Treasurer, the State Comptroller, the Department
17of Revenue, and the Department of Transportation shall deposit
18or cause to be deposited any amount of grants or other revenues
19or taxes expected to be received by the defaulting unit of
20local government from that official or entity that has been
21pledged to the defaulting unit of local government, directly
22into a designated escrow account established by the District at
23a trust company or bank having trust powers, unless otherwise
24prohibited by law. The ordinance authorizing that disposition
25shall, within 10 days after adoption by the governing body of
26the District, be filed with the official or entity with custody

 

 

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1of the garnished grants or other revenues or taxes.
 
2    Section 50. Planning committee; formation; powers. A
3Planning Committee is an advisory entity that is created,
4convened, and empowered as provided in this Section.
5    (a) Creation. An Intergovernmental Authority may create a
6Planning Committee to discuss the formation of a Unified Fire
7Protection District.
8    Each governing body of a participating fire protection
9jurisdiction under this Section shall appoint two officials or
10employees to the Planning Committee. Each exclusive
11representative of any collective bargaining unit containing
12fire department related employees of each affected fire
13protection jurisdiction shall appoint 2 members or officials to
14the Planning Committee. Members of a Planning Committee may be
15reimbursed for travel and incidental expenses at the discretion
16of the governing body of each respective fire protection
17jurisdiction.
18    (b) Funding. A Planning Committee may receive state
19funding, as appropriated by the legislature or from the Office
20of the State Fire Marshal or any affected fire protection
21jurisdiction for initial funding to pay for salaries, expenses,
22overhead, supplies, and similar expenses ordinarily and
23necessarily incurred.
24    (c) A Planning Committee shall conduct its affairs and
25formulate a Plan as provided under Section 55 of this Act.

 

 

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1    (d) At its first meeting, a Planning Committee may elect
2officers and provide for the adoption of rules and other
3operating procedures.
4    (e) Dissolution. A Planning Committee may dissolve itself
5at any time by a majority vote of the total membership of the
6Planning Committee. Any participating fire protection
7jurisdiction may withdraw upon 10 days written notice to all
8other fire protection jurisdictions that are members of the
9Planning Committee.
10    (f) Planning Committees are subject to the requirements of
11the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
 
12    Section 55. Planning Committee; duties; formulation of
13plan.
14    (a) A Planning Committee shall adopt a Plan providing for
15the design, financing, and development of fire protection
16services for the territory to comprise the new District. The
17Planning Committee may coordinate its activities with
18neighboring municipalities, fire protection districts, and
19other local governments that engage in fire protection
20planning. The Planning Committee may consider land use planning
21criteria and the input of local government officials located
22within, or partially within, a participating fire protection
23jurisdiction.
24    (b) The Planning Committee shall:
25        (1) create opportunities for public input in the

 

 

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1    development of the Plan;
2        (2) adopt a Plan proposing the creation of a District
3    and recommending design, financing, and development of
4    fire protection and emergency service facilities and
5    operations, including maintenance and preservation of
6    facilities or systems which may include the provision of
7    ambulance and other fire department related services. The
8    Plan shall identify the existing levels of fire department
9    emergency services as measured by nationally acceptable
10    practices. It shall ensure that, absent an increase in the
11    level of services to be provided to the territory of the
12    proposed District, no net increase in cost of services
13    shall occur. The Plan shall also provide that the average
14    emergency services response times in the District shall not
15    be increased compared with those of each affected fire
16    protection jurisdiction;
17        (3) adopt, as part of the Plan, recommended and
18    identified resources and assets to be available to the
19    District from prospective contributing or component fire
20    protection jurisdictions, or other sources;
21        (4) adopt, as part of the Plan, recommended and
22    identified obligations and liabilities to be assumed by the
23    District from prospective contributing or component fire
24    protection jurisdictions, or to be retained by the
25    prospective contributing or component fire protection
26    jurisdictions;

 

 

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1        (5) adopt, as part of the Plan, a recommended timeline
2    for establishing common and uniform operating procedures,
3    standards, and guidelines, as well as rules and policies,
4    to be applicable to the District upon approval by the
5    District subsequent to its activation as a viable entity;
6        (6) recommend sources of revenue authorized by Section
7    60 of this Act and undertake financial and budgeting
8    processes to fund selected fire protection service
9    projects. The Plan shall include amendment, termination,
10    and enforcement provisions, specifically to include breach
11    or default in the payment and funding provisions of the
12    Plan and the penalties for such a breach, as well as the
13    means to enforce the provisions of the Plan by the affected
14    fire protection jurisdictions;
15        (7) identify the composition of the Board and the
16    relative representation of each fire protection
17    jurisdiction on the Board; and
18        (8) determine whether to seek a voter-approved Plan for
19    any non-elector initiated Unified Fire Protection
20    District.
21    (c) Once adopted, the Plan shall be forwarded to the
22participating fire protection jurisdictions' governing bodies
23for their approval, and, if approved by all affected fire
24protection jurisdictions, to either initiate the petition
25process under Section 25 of this Act, or for implementation by
26intergovernmental agreement under Section 30 of this Act.

 

 

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1    (d) For elector-approved Plans initiated by the fire
2protection jurisdictions, if the ballot measure to adopt the
3Plan is not approved by the voters, the Planning Committee may
4reconvene to redefine the scope and purpose of the District,
5its projects, financing plan, and the ballot measure. The
6governing bodies of the member fire protection jurisdictions
7may approve a new Plan and ballot measure, and may then submit
8the revised proposition to the voters at a subsequent regular
9election. Alternatively, the Plan may be approved and
10implemented under provisions creating an Intergovernmental
11Authority pursuant to Section 30 of this Act.
 
12    Section 60. Unified Fire Protection District; initial
13startup.
14    (a) A District formed by voter petition in accordance with
15Section 25, or as otherwise provided in this Act, shall
16commence operations no later than 90 days after the date of the
17election and shall operate for the purposes set forth in the
18Plan. An Intergovernmental Authority comprised of governing
19bodies of 2 or more fire protection jurisdictions shall be
20considered to be formed upon approval of the governing bodies
21of each member fire protection jurisdiction. The
22Intergovernmental Authority shall commence operations on the
23date identified in the Plan.
24    (b) Governing board. The Unified Fire Protection District
25shall be governed by a Board of 5 trustees. The Board shall

 

 

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1elect a Chairperson from among its members, who shall vote only
2in the case of a tie.
3    If a District is wholly contained within a single county,
4the trustees for the District shall be appointed by the chief
5executive officer of the county board with the advice and
6consent of the county board. If the District lies within more
7than one county, the number of trustees who are residents of a
8county shall be in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the
9number of residents of the District who reside in that county
10in relation to the total population of the District, unless the
11District has voted by referendum to elect the trustees.
12Thereafter, each trustee shall be succeeded by a resident of
13the same county who shall be appointed by the same appointing
14authority. The appropriate appointing authorities shall
15appoint 5 trustees of the District within 60 days after the
16entry of the order establishing the District. The trustees
17shall be electors in the District, provided that the Board
18shall consist of a trustee representing each unit of local
19government, subject to the intergovernmental agreement, within
20the Unified Fire Protection District. The trustees shall hold
21the terms of office and shall have the powers and
22qualifications that are provided for trustees under Section 4
23of the Fire Protection District Act.
24    In the event of a conflict between the terms of the
25intergovernmental agreement and the powers of the trustees
26otherwise provided by law, the terms of the intergovernmental

 

 

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1agreement shall prevail and supersede.
2    (c) Powers and duties. The District shall have the power,
3duties, and obligations of a fire protection district as
4otherwise provided under this Act, except as modified or
5limited by the provisions of this Section. The District shall
6develop a budget funded at a level sufficient to ensure that
7the quality of service provided to the residents of the service
8area within the boundary of the included units of local
9government continues at a level equal to or greater than those
10provided prior to the modification.
11    (d) Local fire departments. The establishment of a District
12as a separate named unit of local government shall not prevent
13the units of local government within it from identifying their
14historical fire departments with the names of their localities.
15In that event, local fire departments shall be described as
16[local name] Branch of the [name of the District].
17    (e) Single chain of command. Upon the formation of a
18District under either Section 25 or 30 of this Act, the fire
19departments of the participating units of local government
20shall be operated under a single chain of command under the
21leadership of one fire chief appointed by the Board of the
22District. Chiefs and subordinate chief officers who are
23redundant under the single chain of command, or consolidated
24shifts established by the Board, shall be eligible to apply for
25vacancies in positions that may be established under the terms
26of the intergovernmental agreement entered into by the parties,

 

 

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1provided that the positions shall not be available to any
2person who is already retired and receiving benefits under
3Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code. These positions
4include, but are not limited to, training officer, EMS
5coordinator, fire inspector, or company officer. Any proposed
6reduction to a bargaining unit position resulting from the
7abolishment of a non-bargaining unit position shall be subject
8to compliance with the bargaining rights of any affected
9collective bargaining representative.
10    Upon taking office, the fire chief of the District shall
11command all shifts covering the unified service area of the
12units of local government included in the District. The
13District shall become a body politic and corporate with all the
14powers, rights, duties, and obligations vested in it under the
15terms of the intergovernmental agreement and as otherwise
16provided under the provisions of this Act.
17    (f) Upon the organization of the District, the duties of
18each included unit of local government relating to the
19operation of a fire department and emergency medical services
20within the boundaries of the District shall be transferred to
21the Board of the District to be exercised according to the
22terms of the intergovernmental agreement and as otherwise
23provided under the provisions of this Act.
24    (g) Unless otherwise agreed upon, all firefighters and EMS
25personnel lawfully in the employment of any unit of local
26government included in the District shall maintain identity

 

 

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1with the fire departments that they were serving on prior to
2the intergovernmental agreement creating the Unified Fire
3Protection District, but shall be subject to the unified chain
4of command established under the Board.
5    A District consisting of any fire department that employs
6full-time officers or members shall be subject to Sections
716.01 through 16.18 of the Fire Protection District Act unless
8the terms of the intergovernmental agreement agreed to by the
9units of local government and the exclusive bargaining agents
10representing employees engaged in providing fire protection or
11emergency medical services within the service area of the
12District provides otherwise.
13    (h) Contracts in effect between an exclusive bargaining
14agent and a unit of local government shall continue according
15to their terms. Successor contracts shall be negotiated in
16accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Public Labor
17Relations Act. Upon agreement of any 2 or more units of local
18government and corresponding exclusive bargaining
19representatives, and approval of that agreement by a majority
20of the members of each respective bargaining unit, any 2 or
21more bargaining units may be consolidated into a single
22bargaining unit.
23    (i) Any unit of local government that is included in a
24District shall be exempt from any reduction in the formula for
25distribution of income tax revenues under Section 901 of the
26Illinois Income Tax Act and personal property replacement tax

 

 

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1revenues under subsection (c) of Section 201 of the Illinois
2Income Tax Act collected from local taxpayers by State agencies
3and redistributed to the units of local government based on the
4formula and laws in effect as of the effective date of this
5amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.
6    A District shall be eligible to receive the distribution of
7income tax revenues collected from local taxpayers according to
8the same formula applicable to municipalities.
 
9    Section 65. Levy of taxes; limitations; indebtedness.
10    (a) To carry out the purposes for which a District is
11created, a District Board is empowered to take all actions
12authorized by law and authorized under this Act for the purpose
13of enforcing payment of any and all contributions and payments
14required under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement
15executed under the provisions of this Act.
16    (b) The inclusion of any unit of local government into a
17District shall not affect the obligation of any contract
18entered into by the unit of local government unless otherwise
19agreed upon in the intergovernmental agreement. Such contracts
20shall remain the obligation of the unit of local government
21that incurred the obligation.
22    The inclusion of units of local government shall not
23adversely affect proceedings for the collection or enforcement
24of any tax. The proceedings shall continue to finality as if no
25inclusion had taken place. The proceeds thereof shall be paid

 

 

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1to the treasurer of the unit of local government, subject to
2the terms of the intergovernmental agreement, to be used for
3the purpose for which the tax was levied or assessed.
4    All suits pending in any court on behalf of or against any
5unit of local government relating to the provision of fire or
6emergency medical services on the date that the unit of local
7government is joined into a District under this Act may be
8prosecuted or defended in the name of the unit of local
9government unless otherwise provided in the intergovernmental
10agreement. All judgments obtained for any unit of local
11government joined into a District shall be collected and
12enforced by the District for its benefit unless otherwise
13provided in the intergovernmental agreement.
14    The title to all property of a unit of local government
15related to providing fire or emergency medical services in the
16District that is transferred to the District under the terms of
17the intergovernmental agreement shall remain vested in the unit
18of local government to be held for the same purposes and uses,
19and subject to the same conditions as before inclusion.
20    (c) Exclusivity. Any intergovernmental contracts otherwise
21authorized by law that relate to the combination of contracts
22or the integration of service areas where fire protection or
23emergency medical services are performed shall be entered into
24pursuant to Section 25 or Section 30 of this Act.
 
25    Section 70. Petition to dissolve a District; referendum.

 

 

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1The Board of a District may certify and submit the question of
2dissolution of the District to the electors of the District.
3The Board may draft a ballot title, give notice as required by
4the general election law, and perform other duties as required
5to put the question before the voters of the District for their
6approval or rejection as a single ballot measure. The
7electorate consists of the voters voting within the boundaries
8of the existing District. A simple majority of the registered
9voters voting on the single ballot measure is required to
10approve dissolution of the petitioned District. The District
11shall act in accordance with general election law. The District
12seeking dissolution is liable for its proportionate share of
13the costs of the election.
14    The question shall be in substantially the following form: -
15
---------------------------
16
For dissolution of the
17
.........Unified Fire
18
Protection District.
-
19
---------------------------
20
Against dissolution of the
21
.........Unified Fire
22
Protection District.
-
23
---------------------------
24    Votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No". If a majority of
25the votes cast are in favor of the dissolution, the assets,
26liabilities, obligations, and personnel assigned or belonging

 

 

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1to the District shall revert to the component fire protection
2jurisdictions comprising or contributing to the District,
3proportional to each fire protection jurisdiction's
4contribution. All such transfers and reassignments shall be
5made in an expeditious and timely manner, and no longer than
6120 days after the date upon which the District dissolution
7vote was certified by local election authorities.
 
8    Section 75. Intergovernmental Authority and District;
9dissolution.
10    A District created by an intergovernmental agreement under
11Section 30 may be dissolved upon consent of the component fire
12protection jurisdictions comprising or contributing to the
13District.
14    The board of the District seeking dissolution shall publish
15a written notice of and hold a public hearing on its intention
16to dissolve the District. If the District is located entirely
17in one county, the notice shall be published in an English
18language newspaper of general circulation published in the
19District, or, if there is no such newspaper, in an English
20language newspaper of general circulation published in the
21county and having circulation in the District. If the District
22is located primarily in one county but extends into smaller
23portions of adjoining counties, the notice shall be published
24in a newspaper of general circulation published in the
25District, or, if there is no such newspaper, in a newspaper of

 

 

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1general circulation published in each county in which any part
2of the District is located. If the District includes all or a
3large portion of two or more counties, the notice shall be
4published in a newspaper of general circulation published in
5each county in which any part of the District is located. The
6notice shall appear not more than 30 and no less than 10 days
7prior to the date of the public hearing.
8    All hearings shall be open to the public. The Board shall
9explain the reasons for the proposed dissolution of the
10District and shall permit persons an opportunity to present
11testimony within reasonable time limits as the Board
12determines.
13    A simple majority of votes the District is required for
14dissolution of the District.
15    Upon approval of dissolution of a District, the assets,
16liabilities, obligations, and personnel assigned or belonging
17to the District shall revert to the component fire protection
18jurisdictions comprising or contributing to the District, in
19proportion to each fire protection jurisdiction's
20contribution. All such transfers and reassignments shall be
21made in an expeditious and timely manner, but no longer than
22120 days after the date upon which the District dissolution
23vote was affirmed by the District Board.
 
24    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25becoming law.".