HB0219 EnrolledLRB099 03564 AWJ 23572 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by
5changing Section 16 as follows:
 
6    (70 ILCS 705/16)  (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 37)
7    Sec. 16. Territory included within the limits of any fire
8protection district may be disconnected from the district and
9added to another district to which the territory is contiguous,
10in the manner hereinafter set forth; (1) if the territory would
11receive equal or greater benefits from the district to which it
12seeks to be transferred; (2) if the transfer will not cause the
13territory remaining in the district from which the transfer is
14to be made, to be noncontiguous; (3) if the transfer will not
15cause a serious injury to the district from which the transfer
16is to be made; and, (4) if the trustees of the district to
17which the transfer is sought to be made do not file a written
18refusal to accept the territory within the time hereinafter
19provided.
20    Territory disconnected pursuant to this Section shall
21remain liable for its proportionate share of the bonded
22indebtedness outstanding as of the date of disconnection, if
23any, of the district from which it was disconnected and shall

 

 

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1assume a proportionate share of the bonded indebtedness, if
2any, of the district to which it is transferred.
3    One per cent or more of the legal voters residing within
4the limits of the territory proposed to be transferred may file
5a petition, in the court of the county where the district to
6which it seeks to be transferred is organized, setting forth:
7the description of the territory sought to be transferred; that
8the territory would receive equal or greater benefits by the
9transfer; that the transfer will not cause a serious injury to
10the district or districts from which the transfer is proposed
11to be made; and the amount of any outstanding bonded
12indebtedness against the district or districts in which the
13territory is then situated which has been incurred pursuant to
14this Act; and praying that the question whether the transfer
15shall be made, and whether the voters of such territory shall
16remain liable for a proportionate share of the bonded
17indebtedness outstanding as of the date of disconnection, if
18any, of the district from which it was disconnected and also
19assume a proportionate share of the bonded indebtedness, if
20any, of the district to which the transfer is to be made, be
21submitted to the voters of the entire district from which the
22transfer is sought to be made territory sought to be
23transferred.
24    Upon the filing of the petition, the court shall set a day
25for hearing, not less than 2 weeks nor more than 4 weeks from
26the filing thereof, and the court, or the circuit clerk or

 

 

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1sheriff upon order of the court, (i) shall give 2 weeks notice
2of such hearing in one or more daily or weekly newspapers of
3general circulation in the county or in each county wherein the
4district or districts from which the territory sought to be
5transferred is organized and by posting at least 10 copies of
6the notice in conspicuous places in the district or in each of
7the districts from which the territory is sought to be
8transferred, (ii) shall cause a copy of the notice to be
9personally served upon each trustee of the district from which
10the transfer is sought to be made, and (iii) in addition shall
11cause a copy of the notice to be personally served upon each of
12the trustees of the district to which the transfer is sought to
13be made at least one week before the date set for the hearing,
14and in the notice, or in any accompanying notice to be served
15upon the Trustees at the same time, a recital shall be made
16stating that the Trustees may at any time prior to the date of
17the hearing, or within such additional time as may be granted
18by the court upon request in writing filed on or before such
19date, file a written refusal to accept the territory as a part
20of their district, provided, that such notification need not be
21given to the trustees if they file in the proceeding their
22written appearances or written consent to a transfer of the
23territory to their district. Both the fire protection district
24from which the territory seeks to be transferred and the fire
25protection district to which the territory seeks to be
26transferred are necessary parties in any action to disconnect

 

 

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1under this Section.
2    At any time prior to the date set for the hearing, or
3within such additional time as may be granted by the court, the
4trustees of the district to which the transfer is sought to be
5made may file a written refusal to accept the territory as a
6part of their district and in case of such refusal the court
7shall enter an order dismissing the petition for the transfer.
8The trustees may withdraw their refusal at any time prior to
9the entry of an order dismissing the petition. In case the
10trustees fail to file a written refusal within the time
11hereinbefore authorized, they shall be deemed to have consented
12to a transfer of the territory to their district, and consent
13once given may not be withdrawn without leave of court for good
14cause shown. In case of such consent, the court shall proceed
15with the matter as herein provided but if the court finds that
16any of the conditions herein required for the making of a
17transfer do not exist it shall enter an order dismissing the
18petition. In taking any action upon the petition the findings
19of the court shall be filed of record in the case.
20    All property owners in the district from which the transfer
21is sought and all persons interested therein, may file
22objections, and at the hearing may appear and contest the
23transfer and the matters averred in the petition, and both
24objectors and petitioners may offer any competent evidence in
25regard thereto. In addition, all persons residing in or
26interested in any of the property situated in the territory

 

 

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1sought to be transferred shall have an opportunity to be heard
2touching the location and boundary of the territory to be voted
3upon for such transfer, and may make suggestions regarding the
4same.
5    If the court shall, upon hearing the petition, find that
6the territory described in the petition would receive equal or
7greater benefits by being so transferred and meet the
8conditions hereinbefore set forth, it shall certify to the
9proper election officials the question of whether the territory
10shall be transferred, and its order, and such officials shall
11submit that question at an election in the entire district from
12which the transfer is sought to be made such territory in
13accordance with the general election law. The proposition shall
14be in substantially the following form:
15-------------------------------------------------------------
16   For making the transfer from the
17 ..... Fire Protection District to the
18 ..... Fire Protection District, remaining
19 liable for a proportionate share of the
20 bonded indebtedness outstanding as of the
21 date of disconnection, if any, of the district
22 from which disconnection is proposed and also
23 assuming a proportionate share of the bonded
24 indebtedness, if any, of the district
25 to which transfer is proposed.
26-------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

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1   Against making the transfer from the
2 ..... Fire Protection District to the
3 ..... Fire Protection District, remaining
4 liable for a proportionate share of the
5 bonded indebtedness outstanding as of the
6 date of disconnection, if any, of the district
7 from which disconnection is proposed and also
8 assuming a proportionate share of the bonded
9 indebtedness, if any, of  the district
10 to which transfer is proposed.
11-------------------------------------------------------------
12    If a majority of the votes cast upon the question of making
13the transfer shall be in favor of the transfer, the territory
14shall thenceforth cease to be a part of the fire protection
15district or districts to which it has been attached and shall
16become an integral part of the fire protection district to
17which the transfer shall have been sought and shall be subject
18to all the enjoyments and responsibilities of the latter
19district. In each case in which a transfer is effected pursuant
20to the provisions hereof, the circuit clerk in whose court the
21transfer proceedings have been conducted, shall certify copies
22of all orders entered in effecting such transfer and file or
23send them to the proper county clerk or clerks for filing and
24to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
25(Source: P.A. 94-806, eff. 1-1-07.)
 
26    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

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1becoming law.