(70 ILCS 705/21.1) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 38.4-1)

Sec. 21.1. Any resident of a county containing a fire protection district which has no legal voters residing therein may file a petition to dissolve the fire protection district in the circuit court of the county where the district was organized.

The petition shall set forth: (a) the description of the territory comprising the district sought to be dissolved; (b) that no legal voters reside within such district; (c) that there is no outstanding bonded indebtedness; (d) that adequate fire protection is reasonably available to all affected property without maintaining the district; and (e) a response-time study has been conducted that shows, at a minimum, estimated response times from the fire protection district to the territory and estimated response times to that territory after closure of the fire station.

Upon filing the petition, the provisions of Section 21 concerning a hearing, notice thereof and the filing of objections shall apply. If the court finds that any of the conditions set forth in the petition as required herein do not exist, it shall enter an order dismissing the petition. If the court finds that all of the conditions set forth in the petition as required herein exist, it shall enter an appropriate order to dissolve the district.

Any assets remaining after settlement of all district affairs shall be turned over to the county in which the district lies and if the district lies in more than one county the share of each shall be in the same proportion as the percentage of district land lying in such county, except that real estate shall become the property of the county in which it is located.

The circuit clerk shall transmit a certified copy of each order dissolving a district to the county clerk of each county in which any of the territory is situated, the State Fire Marshal and the Department of Revenue.

(Source: P.A. 102-574, eff. 1-1-22.)