97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB1926

 

Introduced 2/10/2011, by Sen. Terry Link

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Local Government Consolidation Commission Act. Establishes the Local Government Consolidation Commission to create a recommended list of units of local government to be abolished or consolidated. Provides that the Commission shall submit its recommended list to the General Assembly by no later than April 1, 2012. Sets forth the requirements for the recommended list. Provides that the General Assembly may disapprove the list of the Commission in whole, but may not disapprove of specific types of units of local government or specifically named units of local government on the list, within 30 calendar days after each chamber next convenes after the list is submitted to the General Assembly, by adoption of a resolution by a record vote of the majority of the members elected in each house. Provides that if the recommended list is not disapproved by the General Assembly within the time period for disapproval, then the Legislative Reference Bureau shall prepare for introduction a revisory bill effecting the changes in the statutes as may be necessary to conform the statutes to the changes in law made by the recommended list. Effective immediately.


LRB097 06003 RLJ 46074 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1926LRB097 06003 RLJ 46074 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau,
3Illinois had 6,994 units of local government in 2007, the most
4units of local government of any state in the country; and
5    WHEREAS, Multiple layers of units of local government can
6be inefficient and lead to a duplication of services; and
7    WHEREAS, Most units of local government have the power to
8levy ad valorem property taxes; and
9    WHEREAS, The power of units of local government to levy
10taxes can lead to an increased property tax burden for Illinois
11citizens; therefore,
 
12    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
13represented in the General Assembly:
 
14    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Local
15Government Consolidation Commission Act.
 
16    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
17    "Commission" means the Local Government Consolidation
18Commission created by this Act.
19    "Unit of local government" means a unit of local government
20as defined in Section 1 of Article VII of the Illinois
21Constitution. The term does not include a school district or
22community college district.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. Commission; creation; members. There is
2created a Local Government Consolidation Commission, to
3consist of 8 members, 2 members appointed by the President of
4the Senate, 2 members appointed by the Minority Leader of the
5Senate, 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of
6Representatives, and 2 members appointed by the Minority Leader
7of the House of Representatives. No member may be a local
8government official.
 
9    Section 15. Meetings; officers. The members of the
10Commission shall meet and the Commission shall be organized
11within 30 days after the effective date of this Act, and shall
12at that time elect a chair from among the members.
 
13    Section 20. Compensation; expenses. The members of the
14Commission shall serve without compensation, but may be
15reimbursed for necessary traveling expenses incurred in the
16performance of their official duties.
 
17    Section 25. Administrative support. The Commission shall
18receive administrative and other support from the Legislative
19Reference Bureau.
 
20    Section 30. Recommended list.
21    (a) The Commission shall create a recommended list of units

 

 

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1of local government to be abolished or consolidated and shall
2determine, upon a vote requiring at least 5 affirmative votes,
3the units of local government to be included on the recommended
4list. The recommended list may include the consolidation or
5elimination of a specific type of unit of local government or a
6specific unit of local government designated by name and the
7county in which it is located.
8    In determining the units of local government to be
9abolished or consolidated and any other matter under subsection
10(b) or (c) the Commission must consider the following:
11        (1) The provisions of the Illinois Constitution and
12    State law governing the establishment, organization,
13    jurisdiction, and functions of units of local government.
14        (2) The costs and benefits to the State and other units
15    of local government.
16        (3) The elimination of inefficiencies, duplicate
17    administrative services, and costs to the State and other
18    units of local government.
19        (4) The interests and welfare of the public.
20    (b) For each unit of local government included on the
21recommended list, the Commission must:
22        (1) Set forth whether the unit of local government is
23    to be abolished or consolidated.
24        (2) Provide for the transfer of all assets and
25    liabilities of the unit of local government.
26        (3) Provide for the transfer or other disposition of

 

 

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1    personnel records, documents, books, and other property,
2    both real and personal, of the unit of local government.
3        (4) Set forth all acts of the General Assembly affected
4    by the abolishing or consolidating of the unit of local
5    government.
6    (c) For each specific type of unit of local government
7included on the recommended list, the Commission must:
8        (1) Set forth whether the type of unit of local
9    government is to be abolished or consolidated.
10        (2) List all of the units of local government, by name
11    and the county in which the unit of local government is
12    located, that will be abolished or consolidated as a result
13    of abolishing or consolidating that type of unit of local
14    government.
15        (3) Provide for the transfer of all assets and
16    liabilities of the affected units of local government.
17        (4) Provide for the transfer or other disposition of
18    personnel records, documents, books, and other property,
19    both real and personal, of the affected units of local
20    government.
21        (5) Set forth all acts of the General Assembly affected
22    by the abolishing or consolidating of that type of unit of
23    local government.
24    (d) The Commission must conduct at least 3 public hearings
25before creating the recommended list and at least 3 public
26hearings after creating, but before submitting, the

 

 

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1recommended list to the General Assembly. At the public
2hearings, the Commission shall allow interested persons to
3present their views and comments. The Commission may adopt
4reasonable rules for the conduct of the public hearings.
5    (e) The Commission shall file the recommended list with the
6General Assembly by no later than April 1, 2012. If the
7recommended list abolishes or consolidates a unit of local
8government, then the unit of local government shall be
9abolished or consolidated one year after the time period for
10disapproval, as provided in Section 35, has expired.
 
11    Section 35. Disapproval of recommended list.
12    (a) If the Commission fails to submit a recommended list to
13the General Assembly or the General Assembly disapproves the
14list as provided in subsection (b), then no changes shall be
15made under this Act to any unit of local government.
16    (b) The General Assembly may disapprove the list of the
17Commission in whole, but may not disapprove of specific types
18of units of local government or specifically named units of
19local government on the list, within 60 calendar days after
20each chamber next convenes after the list is submitted to the
21General Assembly, by adoption of a resolution by a record vote
22of the majority of the members elected in each house directed
23to the Commission. The resolution shall be binding on the
24Commission.
 

 

 

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1    Section 40. Revisory bill. If the recommended list is not
2disapproved within the time period for disapproval as set forth
3in Section 35, then the Legislative Reference Bureau shall
4prepare for introduction no later than in the first annual
5session of the General Assembly next occurring after the
6recommended list takes effect a revisory bill effecting the
7changes in the statutes as may be necessary to conform the
8statutes to the changes in law made by the recommended list.
 
9    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
10becoming law.