60 ILCS 1/ Township Code.

(60 ILCS 1/125-10)

Sec. 125-10. Petition and referendum.

(a) Legal voters of a township numbering no less than 5% or 50, whichever is greater, of the registered voters of the township, may file a petition in writing in the office of the circuit clerk in the county in which the township is located, with a copy of such petition required to be filed on the same day with the township clerk, asking that a referendum be held to authorize the issuance of bonds for the purpose of providing funds for the purchase and improvement of one or more public parks in the township. The petition shall designate the amount of bonds proposed to be issued for the acquirement and improvement of the parks. Within 5 business days after the filing of the petition, the township clerk shall provide public notice of the existence of the filed petition in the same manner as notices of meetings of the township board are provided. After a hearing conducted no less than 30 days after the filing of the petition, at which time the validity of the petition may be challenged in accordance with the general election law, the circuit court, if it determines that the petition conforms with the requirements of the law, shall certify the question to the proper election officials, who shall submit the question at an election to the legally qualified voters of the township. The court shall designate the election at which the question shall be submitted. The notice of the referendum shall state the amount of bonds proposed to be issued and identify any specific park acquisition or improvement projects intended to be supported by the bond proceeds, and the notice shall be given and the referendum conducted in accordance with the general election law.

(b) The proposition at the referendum shall be substantially in one of the following forms: Form A

Shall (name of township) be authorized to issue park bonds to the amount of $(amount) for the purpose of procuring and improving one or more small parks?

Form B

Shall (name of township) be authorized to issue park bonds to the amount of $ (amount) for the purpose of (identify specific park acquisition or improvement projects)?

The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".

(c) If a majority of the votes cast upon the proposition are in favor of the issuance of bonds, the township supervisor and township clerk shall issue the bonds of the township not exceeding the amount voted upon at the township election. The bonds shall become due not more than 20 years after their date, shall be in denominations of $100 or any multiple of $100, and shall bear interest, evidenced by coupons, at the rate of not exceeding 5% per annum, payable semiannually.

(Source: P.A. 94-622, eff. 8-18-05.)

(60 ILCS 1/125-12)

Sec. 125-12. Public hearing following referendum approval.

(a) Before the bonds shall be sold, the township board shall hold at least one public hearing on the subject of how the bond proceeds may be spent. In addition to providing no less than 15 days' advance public notice of such hearing in a manner consistent with meetings of the township board, notice of such public hearing shall be provided to all municipalities and park districts located within the township. All interested residents and local government officials within the township shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard during the public hearing.

(b) When Form A of the referendum question is used, the township shall consider all legitimate park acquisition and improvement projects that are submitted in connection with the public hearing. When Form B of the referendum question is used, the township shall consider only those park acquisition and improvement projects that were identified in the question.

(Source: P.A. 94-622, eff. 8-18-05.)

(60 ILCS 1/125-15)

Sec. 125-15. Supervisor's and clerk's certificate; tax; board of park commissioners.

(a) The bonds shall be sold, and the proceeds shall be used, solely for the purpose of procuring and improving one or more parks in the township; specifically, the bond proceeds may be used in connection with one or more acquisition projects, one or more improvement projects, or a combination thereof. The bond proceeds may be used to support projects at parks operated by the township or, through grants or intergovernmental agreements, at parks operated by a municipality or park district. At or before the time of the delivery of the bonds for value, the township supervisor and township clerk shall file with the county clerk of the county in which the township is situated their certificate in writing, under their signatures, stating the amount of bonds to be issued, their denomination, and the rate of interest and where payable. The certificate shall include a form of the bond to be issued.

(b) The supervisor and clerk shall levy a direct annual tax upon all the taxable property in the township sufficient to pay the principal and interest of the bonds as and when they respectively mature. The certificate filed with the county clerk is full and complete authority to the county clerk to extend the tax named in the certificate upon all the taxable property in the township. The tax is in addition to all other taxes authorized by law.

(c) If there is a board of park commissioners invested by law with control over any park that lies wholly or in part in the township, the duties required of the supervisor and clerk by this Section and subsection (c) of Section 125-10 shall be performed by the board of park commissioners or under its authority.

(Source: P.A. 94-622, eff. 8-18-05.)

(60 ILCS 1/125-20)

Sec. 125-20. Use of bond proceeds. The proceeds of the bonds shall be received and held by the township supervisor but shall be expended under the direction and upon the warrant of a majority of the members of the board of trustees of the township. However, a majority of the members of the board of trustees may designate that the bond proceeds be expended under the direction and upon the warrant of the highway commissioner if the highway commissioner provides written consent to that action. If, however, at the time the proceeds are received there is a board of park commissioners invested by law with control over any park that lies wholly or in part in the township, the proceeds of the bonds shall be expended upon the warrants of a majority of the board of park commissioners. The board of trustees, highway commissioner or board of park commissioners may designate the parcel or parcels of land or property to be utilized for the purchase of the parks and may determine the character, time, and manner of improving, developing, maintaining, and adorning the parcel or parcels.

(Source: P.A. 95-759, eff. 7-28-08.)

(60 ILCS 1/125-25)

Sec. 125-25. Supplementary power. This Article does not repeal any prior Acts passed by the General Assembly regarding the issuance of bonds for park purposes but grants additional and supplementary power in relation to the issuance of bonds for park purposes.

(Source: Laws 1915, p. 722; P.A. 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/Art. 130 heading) ARTICLE 130. TOWNSHIP CEMETERIES

(60 ILCS 1/130-5)

Sec. 130-5. Cemeteries; permitted activities.

(a) A township may establish and maintain cemeteries within and without its territory, may acquire lands for cemeteries by condemnation or otherwise, may lay out lots of convenient size for families, and may sell lots for a family burying ground or to individuals for burial purposes. Associations duly incorporated under the laws of this State for cemetery purposes shall have the same power and authority to purchase lands and sell lots for burial purposes as are conferred upon townships under this Article.

(b) A township that has within its territory an abandoned cemetery may enter the cemetery grounds and cause the grounds to be cleared and made orderly. Provided, in no event shall a township enter an abandoned cemetery under this subsection if the owner of the property or the legally responsible cemetery authority provides written notification to the township, prior to the township's entry (1) demonstrating the ownership or authority to control or manage the cemetery and (2) declining the township authorization to enter the property. In making a cemetery orderly under this Section, the township may take necessary measures to correct dangerous conditions that exist in regard to markers, memorials, or other cemetery artifacts but may not permanently remove those items from their location on the cemetery grounds. If an abandoned cemetery is dedicated as an Illinois nature preserve under the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act, any actions to cause the grounds to be cleared and kept orderly shall be consistent with the rules and master plan governing the dedicated nature preserve.

(c) In this Section:

"Abandoned cemetery" means an area of land containing more than 6 places of interment for which, after diligent search, no owner of the land or currently functioning cemetery authority objects to entry sought pursuant to this Section, and (1) at which no interments have taken place in at least 3 years; or (2) for which there has been inadequate maintenance for at least 6 months.

"Diligent search" includes, but is not limited to, publication of a notice in a newspaper of local circulation not more than 45 but at least 30 days prior to a township's entry and cleanup of cemetery grounds. The notice shall provide (1) notice of the township's intended entry and cleanup of the cemetery; (2) the name, if known, and geographic location of the cemetery; (3) the right of the cemetery authority or owner of the property to deny entry to the township upon written notice to the township; and (4) the date or dates of the intended cleanup.

"Inadequate maintenance" includes, but is not limited to, the failure to cut the lawn throughout a cemetery to prevent an overgrowth of grass and weeds; the failure to trim shrubs to prevent excessive overgrowth; the failure to trim trees so as to remove dead limbs; the failure to keep in repair the drains, water lines, roads, buildings, fences, and other structures of the cemetery premises; or the failure to keep the cemetery premises free of trash and debris.

(Source: P.A. 92-419, eff. 1-1-02.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-10)

Sec. 130-10. Cemetery board of managers; appointment; powers; organization.

(a) If a township owns or controls a cemetery lying within or without, or partly within and partly without, the territory of the township, the township collector may appoint a board of 3 persons who shall be known as the cemetery board of managers. Board members shall hold their office for a period of 2 years or until their successors are appointed.

(b) The cemetery board of managers may receive in trust, from the proprietors or owners of any lot in the cemetery or any person interested in the maintenance of a lot, any gift or legacy of money or real, personal, or mixed property having a value of $50 or more that may be donated to the board of managers for the use and maintenance of the lot or cemetery. The board of managers may convert the property into money, invest the money as provided by motion of the township, and apply the income perpetually for the care of the cemetery lot or the care and maintenance of the cemetery, as specified in the gift or bequest and as provided by motion of the township. Every gift or legacy for any purpose mentioned in this Section made to a cemetery by its name, if the cemetery has a board of managers appointed under this Section, shall vest in the board of managers and take effect to all intents and purposes as if made to that board. The gift or legacy shall not fail merely because the cemetery is not incorporated.

(c) The board of managers, as soon as may be convenient after their appointment, shall meet and organize by selecting one of their number to be president and another of their number to be clerk of the board. The board also shall select a treasurer of the board, who may or may not be one of their number and who, before entering upon the treasurer's duties, shall execute a bond to the People of the State of Illinois for the use of the board of managers in a penal sum not less than double the value of the money or property coming into his or her possession as treasurer, conditioned for the faithful performance of his or her duties and for the faithful accounting for all property that, by virtue of the office, comes into the treasurer's possession. The bond shall be in a form and with sureties approved by the township collector and shall be approved and preserved in the same manner, as near as may be practicable, as is the bond of the treasurer of a village.

(Source: P.A. 84-549; 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-15)

Sec. 130-15. Treasurer of board of managers. The treasurer of the board of managers shall have the custody of all money and property received in trust by the board of managers and shall pay out that money or property only upon the written order of the board, signed by at least 2 of the board members. The treasurer shall keep permanent books of record of all trust funds, all receipts and disbursements of trust funds, and the purposes of all receipts and disbursements. The treasurer shall annually make a report in writing to the board of managers, under oath, showing balances, receipts, and disbursements and including a statement showing the amount and principal of trust funds on hand and how invested. The report shall be audited by the board and, if found correct, shall be transmitted to the township collector at the same time that the treasurer of a village is required by law to make his or her report, to be approved and preserved in the same manner if found to be correct.

(Source: P.A. 84-549; 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-20)

Sec. 130-20. Clerk of board of managers. The clerk of the board of managers shall keep, in a book provided for that purpose, a permanent record of the proceedings of the board, signed by the president and attested by the clerk. The clerk shall also keep a permanent record of the several trust funds, from what sources the trust funds were received, the amounts of the trust funds, and for what uses and purposes each trust fund was received. The clerk shall annually, at the time of transmitting the treasurer's report to the township collector, make a written report, under oath, to the township collector, stating substantially the same matter required to be reported by the treasurer of the board. The clerk's report, if found to be correct, shall be approved and preserved by the township collector.

(Source: P.A. 84-549; 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-25)

Sec. 130-25. Removal of officers; accounting. The township collector may remove from office any member of the board of managers or the treasurer for non-performance of duties or for misappropriation or wrongful use of the funds or property and may require a just and proper accounting for the use of the funds or property.

(Source: P.A. 84-549; 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-30)

Sec. 130-30. Joint cemeteries. Any 2 or more cities, villages, or townships may jointly unite in establishing and maintaining cemeteries within and without the corporate limits or territory of either or any of them, may acquire lands for those cemeteries in common by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, may lay out lots of convenient size for families, and may sell lots for family burying ground or to individuals for burial purposes.

(Source: Laws 1963, p. 824; P.A. 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-35)

Sec. 130-35. Corporate trustee. Whenever any money or other property has been given or bequeathed to the board of managers of a cemetery owned or controlled by a township for the purpose of maintaining a lot in the cemetery or maintaining the cemetery as provided in this Article, the township may provide for the appointment of a corporation authorized to do trust business as trustee of the money or property, in place of the treasurer of the board of managers. The corporate trustee has the same powers, authority, and duties with regard to the administration of the trust funds as are provided in this Article for the treasurer of the board of managers, except that it shall not be required to execute a bond and may charge for its services as trustee amounts agreed upon from time to time with the township authorities. The corporate trustee may invest the trust funds in any investment authorized by the laws of Illinois as proper fiduciary investments. The trustee may retain any property given or bequeathed to it in trust even though the property may not be a legal investment under the laws of Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 83-388; 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-40)

Sec. 130-40. Minimum amount of gift or legacy. The board of managers may from time to time establish the minimum amount that will be received by gift or legacy for the use and maintenance of any lot in the cemetery, subject to approval by the township collector.

(Source: P.A. 83-388; 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/130-45)

Sec. 130-45. Transfer of funds. When a township cemetery district takes over a cemetery or cemetery authority, the care fund of the cemetery or cemetery authority shall be transferred into the cemetery district fund of the township cemetery district.

(Source: P.A. 91-181, eff. 1-1-00.)

(60 ILCS 1/Art. 133 heading) ARTICLE 133. PUBLIC GRAVEYARDS

(60 ILCS 1/133-5)

Sec. 133-5. Control of public graveyards. The township board may exercise control over public graveyards in the township as provided in the Public Graveyards Act.

(Source: P.A. 88-62.)

(60 ILCS 1/Art. 135 heading) ARTICLE 135. JOINT TOWNSHIP CEMETERIES