(75 ILCS 16/15-82)

Sec. 15-82. Disconnection of municipalities and townships; advisory question; disconnection procedures.

(a) An advisory question of public policy concerning the disconnection of a municipality or township from the public library district may be placed on the ballot (i) upon the adoption of an ordinance by the governing body of the municipality or township or (ii) when 5% of the legal voters of the public library district present a petition to the board of trustees requesting the advisory question. The governing body adopting an ordinance or the board of trustees receiving a petition must certify the question to the proper election authority, which, in accordance with the Election Code, must submit the question to the electors at the next regularly scheduled election in each public library district in which the municipality or township is located.

The election authority must submit the question in substantially the following form:

Should the (insert name of township or municipality) be disconnected from (insert name of library district)?

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

(b) Regardless of the occurrence or outcome of any advisory question under subsection (a), the governing body of a municipality or township may adopt an ordinance to disconnect the territory of the municipality or township from the public library district. Any ordinance adopted under this subsection shall not take effect until it is approved by the board of trustees of each public library district in which any part of the municipality or township is located.

(c) If the disconnecting entity is a city, then, no later than 90 days after the adoption of the disconnection ordinance, the governing body of the city must establish and maintain a public library under Section 2-1 of the Illinois Local Library Act.

If the disconnecting entity is an incorporated town, a village, or a township, then, no later than 90 days after the adoption of the disconnection ordinance, the governing body of the incorporated town, village, or township must adopt an ordinance for a referendum to establish a public library under Section 2-2 of the Illinois Local Library Act.

(d) After an ordinance to establish and maintain a library is adopted by a city under Section 2-1 of the Illinois Local Library Act or after the approval by the electors in an incorporated town, a village, or a township of a referendum to establish and maintain a library under Section 2-2 of the Illinois Local Library Act, the municipality or township shall file with the circuit court in which a majority of the disconnected territory lies an appropriate petition and a certified copy of the disconnection ordinance. The petition shall request entry of an order of disconnection and the preparation of an appraisal setting forth the value of the tangible property of the district, the liabilities of the district, and the excess of the liabilities over tangible assets or property. Notice shall be published by and within the disconnecting territory.

The circuit court shall, after a hearing upon the matter, enter its order revising the limits and boundaries of the district and setting forth the liability, if any, yet to be retired and paid for by the property owners of the disconnected territory.

(e) When any territory has been disconnected from a district under this Section and the court order providing for the disconnection also sets forth a continuing liability to be paid by the property owners of the disconnected territory, then the county collector of each county affected shall debit upon his or her books the taxes to be paid and thereafter levied by the district and extended against taxable property within the disconnected territory. The county clerk shall continue to extend district library taxes upon the taxable property within the disconnected territory, and the county collector shall continue to collect district library taxes upon the taxable property within the disconnected territory until the excess liability has been paid and retired.

The residents and property owners of the disconnected territory are entitled to full and free library service from the district until the earlier of: (i) the final and full payment of the liability; or (ii) the entry of the disconnection order by the court. Upon the date of disconnection, the residents and property owners of the disconnected territory shall no longer be subject to any tax levies by the district other than levies for the excess liability. Upon full and final payment of the liability and thereafter, no resident or property owner of the disconnected territory shall have any right, title, and interest in and to the assets and tangible property of the district affected by the disconnection.

(f) The board must record a certified copy of the disconnection order with the recorder of deeds and with the county clerk and county collector of each county affected.

(Source: P.A. 94-681, eff. 11-3-05.)