HB4676 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB096 15233 RLJ 30308 b

96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB4676

Introduced , by Rep. Bill Mitchell

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

65 ILCS 5/7-1-2	from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-2
65 ILCS 5/7-1-4	from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-4
65 ILCS 5/7-1-7	from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-7
65 ILCS 5/7-1-8	from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-8
65 ILCS 5/7-1-11	from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-11
65 ILCS 5/7-1-12	from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-12

Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. In provisions concerning the annexation of contiguous territory, requires a 60% vote (now, a majority) of the owners of record of land in the territory to be annexed and 60% (now, a majority) of the electors, if any, residing in the territory to petition the circuit court for annexation. Requires that at least 60% (now, a majority) of the electors residing in the unincorporated territory cast ballots in favor of annexation for the territory to become a part of the annexing municipality. Sets forth public hearing and notice requirements for the annexation of contiguous territory with no electors. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by changing Sections 7-1-2, 7-1-4, 7-1-7, 7-1-8, 7-1-11, and 7-1-12 as follows:

(65 ILCS 5/7-1-2) (from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-2)

Sec. 7-1-2. (a) A written petition signed by at least 60% a majority of the owners of record of land in the territory and also by at least 60% a majority of the electors, if any, residing in the territory shall be filed with the circuit court clerk of the county in which the territory is located, or the corporate authorities of a municipality may initiate the proceedings by enacting an ordinance expressing their desire to annex the described territory. A person owning land underlying a highway shall not be considered an owner of record for purposes of this petition unless that person owns some land not underlying a highway proposed to be annexed in the petition for annexation. No tract of land in excess of 10 acres in area may be included in the ordinances of a municipality initiating the proceedings, however, without the express consent of the owner of the tract unless the tract (i) is subdivided into lots or blocks or (ii) is bounded on at least 3 sides by lands subdivided into lots or blocks. A tract of land shall be deemed so bounded if it is actually separated from the subdivision only by the right-of-way of a railroad or other public utility or at a public highway. The petition or ordinance, as the case may be, shall request the annexation of the territory to a specified municipality and also shall request that the circuit court of the specified county submit the question of the annexation to the corporate authorities of the annexing municipality or to the electors of the unincorporated territory, as the case may be. The circuit court shall enter an order fixing the time for the hearing upon the petition, and the day for the hearing shall be not less than 20 nor more than 30 days after the filing of the petition or ordinance, as the case may be.

(b) The petitioners or corporate authorities, as the case may be, shall give notice of the annexation petition or ordinance, as the case may be, not more than 30 nor less than 15 days before the date fixed for the hearing. This notice shall state that a petition for annexation or ordinance, as the case may be, has been filed and shall give the substance of the petition, including a description of the territory to be annexed, the name of the annexing municipality, and the date fixed for the hearing. This notice shall be given by publishing a notice at least once in one or more newspapers published in the annexing municipality or, if no newspaper is published in the annexing municipality, in one or more newspapers with a general circulation within the annexing municipality and territory. A copy of this notice shall be filed with the clerk of the annexing municipality and the municipal clerk shall send, by registered mail, an additional copy to the highway commissioner of each road district within which the territory proposed to be annexed is situated. If a municipal clerk fails to send the notice to a highway commissioner as required by this subsection, the municipality shall reimburse the road district served by that highway commissioner for any loss or liability caused by that failure.

(c) The petitioners or corporate authorities, as the case may be, shall pay to the clerk of the circuit court $10 as a filing and service fee, and no petition or ordinance, as the case may be, shall be filed until this fee is paid.

(d) No petitioner may withdraw from this petition except by consent of the majority of the other petitioners, or where it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the signature of the petitioner was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation.

(e) If a State charitable institution is situated upon a tract or tracts of land that lie partly within and partly without the corporate limits of any municipality, the corporate authorities of the municipality may by resolution without any petition or proceedings required by this Article but with the written consent of the Director of the State Department having jurisdiction of the institution, annex any part or all of the tracts lying without the corporate limits.

(f) If real estate owned by the State of Illinois or any board, agency, or commission of the State is situated in unincorporated territory adjacent to a municipality, the corporate authorities of the municipality may annex any part or all of the real estate only with the written consent of the Governor or the governing authority of the board, agency, or commission, without any petition or proceedings required by this Article by resolution of the corporate authorities. This requirement does not apply, however, to State highways located within territory to be annexed under this Article.

(Source: P.A. 87-533; 88-355.)

(65 ILCS 5/7-1-4) (from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-4)

Sec. 7-1-4. The cause shall be heard without further pleadings. At the hearing the objector may be heard in person or by counsel.

Prior to hearing evidence on the validity of the annexation petition or ordinance, the court shall hear and determine any objection under sub-paragraph (4) of Section 7-1-3. If the court is satisfied that such objection is valid, it shall order the petition or ordinance to be amended to eliminate such objector's land from the territory sought to be annexed. Thereafter upon this hearing the only matter for determination shall be the validity of the annexation petition or ordinance, as the case may be, and the decision of the court shall be final. All petitions shall be supported by an affidavit of one or more of the petitioners, or some one on their behalf, that the signatures on the petition represent at least 60% a majority of the property owners of record of land in the territory described and at least 60% a majority of the electors of the territory therein described. Petitions so verified shall be accepted as prima facie evidence of such facts. If the court finds that (1) the annexation petition is not signed by the requisite number of electors or property owners of record; or (2) that the described property is not contiguous to the annexing municipality; or (3) that the description is materially defective; or (4) that the petition or ordinance, as the case may be, is otherwise invalid, the court shall dismiss the petition or ordinance, as the case may be.

But if the court finds that the petition or ordinance, as the case may be, is valid, the court shall (1) enter an order describing the territory to be annexed, (2) find that the petition or ordinance, as the case may be, conforms to this Article, and (3) direct that the question of annexation be submitted to the corporate authorities of the annexing municipality or to the electors of the unincorporated territory, as the case may be, for final action. A certified copy of the order of the court directing that the question of annexation be submitted to the corporate authorities shall be sent to the clerk of the annexing municipality.

Appeals shall lie from any final order of the court as in other civil actions.

(Source: P.A. 81-448.)

(65 ILCS 5/7-1-7) (from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-7)

Sec. 7-1-7. (a) If the court finds that an annexation ordinance is valid, the court shall enter an order directing the submission of the question of annexation of the unincorporated territory to the electors of that territory at an election in accordance with the general election law and directing the clerk of the annexing municipality to send, by registered mail, a notice of the date of the prospective referendum to the highway commissioner of each road district within which the territory proposed to be annexed is situated. The clerk of the circuit court shall certify the question for submission.

(b) If at least 60% a majority of those casting ballots favor annexation, the described territory shall, except as otherwise provided in Section 7-1-1, thereupon be a part of the annexing municipality. Within 15 days after the referendum, the clerk of the annexing municipality shall promptly send written notice of the results of the referendum by registered mail to the highway commissioner of each road district within which the territory is situated.

(c) If a municipal clerk fails to send any notice to a highway commissioner as required by this Section, the municipality shall reimburse the road district served by that highway commissioner for any loss or liability caused by that failure.

(Source: P.A. 87-533; 88-355.)

(65 ILCS 5/7-1-8) (from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-8)

Sec. 7-1-8. Any territory which is not within the corporate limits of any municipality but which is contiguous to a municipality at the time of annexation and which territory has no electors residing therein, or any such territory with electors residing therein, may be annexed to the municipality in the following manner: a written petition signed by the owners of record of all land within such territory and by at least 60% 51% of the electors residing therein shall be filed with the municipal clerk. The petition shall request annexation and shall state that no electors reside therein or that at least 60% 51% of such electors residing therein join in the petition, whichever shall be the case, and shall be under oath. The corporate authorities of the municipality shall conduct a public hearing at least 30 days prior to its adoption of an annexation ordinance. Notice of the public hearing must be given not more than 30 nor less than 20 days before the public hearing. This notice shall state that a petition for annexation has been filed and shall give the substance of the petition, including a description of the territory to be annexed, the name of the annexing municipality, and the date fixed for the hearing. Notice shall be given by publication in one or more newspapers published in the annexing municipality or, if no newspaper is published in the annexing municipality, in one or more newspapers with a general circulation within the annexing municipality and territory. The corporate authorities of the municipality to which annexation is sought shall then consider the question of the annexation of the described territory. A majority vote of the corporate authorities then holding office is required to annex. The vote shall be by "yeas" and "nays" entered on the legislative records. A copy of the ordinance annexing the territory together with an accurate map of the annexed territory shall be recorded with the recorder and filed with the County Clerk within the county wherever the annexed territory is located.

(Source: P.A. 83-358.)

(65 ILCS 5/7-1-11) (from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-11)

Sec. 7-1-11. The following is an optional method of annexing any territory which, (1) is not less than one square mile in area; (2) contains at least 500 inhabitants; (3) is not included within any municipality; and (4) is contiguous to a municipality having not more than 100,000 inhabitants. Such territory may be annexed to a municipality of the specified sort as follows:

A petition, signed by not less than 100 of the electors of the territory sought to be annexed and by the owners of record of more than 60% 50% of such territory, shall be filed with the circuit court for the county in which the territory is situated. The petition shall request that the question of annexation of the territory described therein be submitted to the electors of the territory.

No tract of land in excess of 10 acres in area shall be included in the annexation petition without the express consent of the owner thereof unless the tract is

(1) subdivided into lots or blocks; or

(2) bounded on at least 3 sides by lands subdivided into lots or blocks.

The owner of record of land comprising any part of the perimeter of the territory sought to be annexed may apply to the court for the exclusion of his or her land from the territory described in such petition. The court shall grant such application if the exclusion of such land will not destroy the contiguity of the land sought to be annexed with the annexing municipality.

After considering any such application, the court shall order the question submitted within the territory at an election in accordance with the general election law. The clerk of the circuit court shall certify the question to the proper election authority for submission. The result of the election shall be entered of record in the court. If at least 60% a majority of the votes cast on the question favor annexation, the court shall then give notice thereof to the corporate authorities of the proposed annexing municipality. The corporate authorities shall then vote on the question of such annexation and if a majority of their membership, by a vote recorded in the minutes, vote in favor of the annexation, an ordinance shall be passed annexing the territory. The clerk of the annexing municipality shall certify and file a copy of the annexation ordinance with a map showing the boundary lines of the territory annexed, with the recorder of the county in which the municipality is located and a document of annexation shall be filed with the county clerk and County Election Authority.

If the question of such annexation does not receive the requisite majority vote of the corporate authorities, the municipal clerk shall certify the question at an election in accordance with the general election law.

If at least 60% a majority of the persons voting upon the question vote for annexation, the described territory is annexed to the annexing municipality. The clerk of the annexing municipality shall certify and file a statement of the annexation proceeding with a map showing the boundary lines of the territory annexed, as provided in this Section section.

If a majority of persons voting on the question vote against annexation, no further proceedings shall be had on the question for at least 22 months from the date of such election.

(Source: P.A. 83-1362.)

(65 ILCS 5/7-1-12) (from Ch. 24, par. 7-1-12)

Sec. 7-1-12. Upon a written petition which is signed by at least 60% a majority of the owners of record of land in any contiguous unincorporated territory wholly bounded by 2 or more municipalities and after the notice required by this Section has been given, the specified territory may be annexed by any one of the specified municipalities by the passage of an ordinance providing therefor. The corporate authorities of the annexing municipality shall cause notice of the filing of such petition to be published once, in a newspaper of general circulation within the territory to be annexed, not less than 10 days before the passage of the annexation ordinance. When the territory to be annexed lies wholly or partially within a township other than that township where the municipality is situated, the annexing municipality shall give at least 10 days prior written notice of the time and place of the passage of the annexation ordinance to the township supervisor of the township where the territory to be annexed lies. The ordinance shall describe the territory annexed, which may not exceed 1/3 the area of the annexing municipality before the annexation. A copy of the annexing ordinance and an accurate map of the annexed territory shall be recorded by the recorder of the county wherein the annexed territory is situated and a document of annexation shall be filed with the county clerk and County Election Authority.

(Source: P.A. 86-769.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.