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65 ILCS 5/8-3-19

(65 ILCS 5/8-3-19)

Sec. 8-3-19.

Home rule real estate transfer taxes.

(a) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General
Assembly and subject
to this Section, a home rule
municipality may impose or increase a tax or other fee on the privilege of
transferring title to real estate, on the privilege of transferring a beneficial interest
in real property, and on the
privilege of
transferring a controlling interest in a real estate entity, as the terms
"beneficial interest", "controlling interest", and "real estate entity" are
defined in Article 31 of
the Property Tax Code.  Such a tax or other fee shall hereafter be referred to as a
real estate transfer tax.

(b) Before adopting a resolution
to submit the question of imposing or
increasing a real estate transfer tax to referendum,
the corporate authorities shall give public notice of and hold a public
hearing on the intent to
submit the question to referendum.  This hearing may be part of a regularly
scheduled meeting of the corporate authorities.  The
notice shall be published not more than 30 nor less than 10
days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the
municipality.  The notice shall be published in the following form:

Notice of Proposed (Increased) Real Estate Transfer

Tax for (commonly known name of municipality).

A public hearing on a resolution to submit to

referendum the question of a proposed (increased) real estate transfer tax for (legal name of the municipality) in an amount of (rate) to be paid by the buyer (seller) of the real estate transferred will be held on (date) at (time) at (location). The current rate of real estate transfer tax imposed by (name of municipality) is (rate).

Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing

and present testimony to the taxing district may do so.

(c) A notice that includes any information not specified and required by
this Section is an invalid notice. All hearings shall be open to the
public. At the public hearing, the corporate authorities of the
municipality shall explain the
reasons for the proposed or increased real estate transfer tax and shall permit
persons
desiring to be heard an opportunity to present testimony within reasonable
time limits determined by the corporate authorities. A copy of the proposed
ordinance shall be made
available to the general public for
inspection before the public hearing.

(d) Except as provided in subsection (i), no
 home rule municipality shall impose a new real estate transfer tax
after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of 1996 without prior approval by
referendum.  Except as provided in subsection (i), no
 home rule
municipality shall impose an increase of the rate of a current real estate
transfer tax without prior approval by referendum.  A home rule municipality
may impose a new real estate transfer tax or may increase an existing real
estate transfer tax with prior referendum
approval.  The referendum shall be
conducted as provided in subsection (e).
An existing ordinance or resolution imposing a real estate transfer tax may
be amended without approval by referendum if the amendment does not increase
the rate of the tax or add transactions on which the tax is imposed.

(e) The home rule municipality shall, by resolution, provide for submission
of the proposition to the voters.  The home rule municipality shall certify
the resolution and the proposition to the proper election officials in
accordance with the general election law.  If the proposition is to impose
a new real estate transfer tax, it shall be in substantially the following
form:  "Shall
(name of municipality) impose a real estate transfer tax at a rate of
(rate) to be paid by the buyer (seller) of the real estate transferred, with
the revenue of the proposed transfer tax to be used for (purpose)?".  If
the proposition is to increase an existing real estate transfer tax, it shall
be in
the following form:  "Shall (name of municipality) impose a real estate
transfer tax increase of (percent increase) to establish a new
transfer tax rate of (rate) to be paid by the buyer (seller) of the real
estate transferred?  The current rate of the real estate transfer tax is
(rate), and the revenue is
used for (purpose).  The revenue from the increase is to be used for
(purpose).".

If a majority of the electors voting on the proposition vote in favor of
it, the municipality may impose or increase the municipal real estate transfer
tax or fee.

(f) Nothing in this amendatory Act of 1996 shall limit the purposes for
which real estate transfer tax revenues may be collected or expended.

(g) A home rule municipality may not impose real estate
transfer taxes other than as
authorized by this Section. This Section is a denial and limitation of home
rule powers and functions under subsection (g) of Section 6 of Article VII
of the Illinois Constitution.

(h) Notwithstanding subsection (g) of this Section, any real estate
transfer taxes adopted
by a municipality at any time prior to January 17, 1997 (the effective date of
Public Act 89-701)
and any amendments to any existing real estate transfer tax ordinance adopted
after that date, in accordance with the law in effect at the time of the
adoption of the amendments,
are not preempted by this amendatory
Act of the 93rd  General Assembly.

(i)  Within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, by ordinance adopted without a referendum, a home rule municipality with a population in excess of 1,000,000 may increase the rate of an existing real estate transfer tax by a rate of up to $1.50 for each $500 of value or fraction thereof,  or in the alternative may impose a real estate transfer tax at a rate of up to $1.50 for each $500 of value or fraction thereof, which may be on the buyer or seller of real estate, or jointly and severally on both, for the sole purpose of providing financial assistance to the Chicago Transit Authority. All amounts collected under such supplemental tax, after fees for costs of collection, shall be provided to the Chicago Transit Authority pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement as promptly as practicable upon their receipt.  Such municipality shall file a copy of any ordinance imposing or increasing such tax with the Illinois Department of Revenue and shall file a report with the Department each month certifying the amount paid to the Chicago Transit Authority in the previous month from the proceeds of such tax.

(Source: P.A. 95-708, eff. 1-18-08.)