Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

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70 ILCS 805/3.5

(70 ILCS 805/3.5)

Sec. 3.5. Elected board of commissioners.

(a) In counties with a population more than 30,000 but less than 90,000,
in each forest preserve
district organized after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997 or
in which, on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997,
the
commissioners of the district are appointed by the presiding officer of the
county board under Section 3a, the commissioners shall be elected as provided
in this Section, rather than appointed, beginning with the first consolidated
election following the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997.  There
shall be 5 elected commissioners, elected from the district at large.  Each
commissioner must be a resident of the district.  The terms of all elected
commissioners shall commence on the third Monday of the month following
the month of election. No party designation shall appear on the ballot for the
election of commissioners.  The terms of all commissioners appointed under
Section 3a in a district to which this Section applies shall expire on the
third Monday of the month following the month of the first election of
commissioners in that district under this Section.

If before August 20, 1993 (the effective date of Public Act 88-443)
in a county with a population of 30,000 or less a presiding officer
of a county board appointed the commissioners of the forest preserve district
and if that presiding officer has, since August 20,
1993, continued to appoint the commissioners of the forest preserve
district, then those appointments made after August 20, 1993, if made in
compliance with Section 3a, are
validated.

(b) The initial elected commissioners shall, no later than 45 days after
taking office, divide themselves publicly by lot as equally as possible into 2
groups.  Commissioners or their successors from one group shall be elected for
terms of 4 years; the initial elected commissioners from the second
group shall serve for terms of 2 years, and their successors shall be elected
for terms of 4 years.

(c) The commissioners shall elect from among their number a president of the
board of commissioners.

(d) Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of commissioner, whether by
death, resignation, refusal to qualify, no longer residing in the district, or
for any other reason, the board of commissioners shall declare that a
vacancy exists.  The vacancy shall be filled within 60 days by appointment of
the president of the board of commissioners, with the advice and consent of the
other commissioners.  The appointee shall be eligible to serve as commissioner.
 The appointee shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term.  If, however,
more than 28 months remain in the term, the appointment shall be until the next
consolidated election, at which time the vacated office of commissioner shall
be filled by election for the remainder of the term.

If a vacancy occurs in the office of president of the board of commissioners,
the remaining commissioners shall elect one of their number to serve as
president for the balance of the unexpired term of the president in whose
office the vacancy occurred.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, elected commissioners
shall have the same powers and duties, and shall be entitled to the same
compensation, as enjoyed by commissioners before the effective date of this
amendatory Act of 1993.

(Source: P.A. 93-847, eff. 7-30-04.)