98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB0945

 

Introduced 1/25/2013, by Rep. Sam Yingling

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
70 ILCS 705/4c new

    Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Adds a Section regarding rural fire protection districts. Provides that rural fire protection districts shall be governed by an elected, rather than an appointed, board of trustees consisting of 5 members with 4 year terms. Provides guidelines for 7-member elected boards to transition to 5-member elected boards. Provides for the continuation of terms of trustees appointed or elected prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act, as well as for filling vacancies. Further provides for the election and terms of trustees elected after the effective date of this amendatory Act. Provides nomination requirements for trustees. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

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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
5adding Section 4c as follows:
 
6    (70 ILCS 705/4c new)
7    Sec. 4c. Rural fire protection district; board of trustees.
8Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a rural fire
9protection district organized under this Act shall be governed
10by an elected, rather than an appointed, 5-member board of
11trustees if that rural fire protection district has its
12boundaries (1) completely within the unincorporated area of a
13county; (2) within a municipality where that municipality does
14not have available a source of fire protection on a voluntary
15or contractual basis; or (3) both within the unincorporated
16territory of a county and within a municipality where that
17municipality does not have available a source of fire
18protection on a voluntary or contractual basis.
19    This Section does not apply to rural fire protection
20districts that have 3 or 5-member elected boards on and after
21the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General
22Assembly.
23    (a) Change from an appointed board to an elected board.

 

 

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1    Each elected board shall consist of 5 members. The initial
2trustees elected under this Section shall be elected at the
3first consolidated election to occur after the expiration of
4the term of office of the trustee or trustees most recently
5appointed prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of
6the 98th General Assembly. If a rural fire protection district
7is governed by an appointed board of trustees on the effective
8date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, then
9those trustees shall continue to constitute the board of
10trustees until the third Monday of May following the first
11election of trustees.
12    If a vacancy in the board of trustees occurs prior to that
13date, either by death, resignation, refusal to qualify, ceasing
14to be an inhabitant of the district, or for any other reason,
15the vacancy shall be filled by the appropriate appointing
16authority. The person appointed shall qualify for office as
17provided in this Act and shall thereupon assume the duties of
18the office for the unexpired term to which the person was
19appointed only until the first Monday of May following the next
20consolidated election, and at that election a trustee shall be
21elected to fill the vacancy for any balance of the unexpired
22term and until the elected trustee has qualified.
23    (b) Change from a 7-member elected board to a 5-member
24elected board.
25    In the case of an elected 7-member board, the initial
26trustees elected under this Section shall be elected at the

 

 

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1first consolidated election to occur after the expiration of
2the term of office of the trustee or trustees most recently
3elected prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of
4the 98th General Assembly. Trustees elected prior to the
5effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General
6Assembly whose terms have expired shall continue to constitute
7the board of trustees until the third Monday of May following
8the first election of trustees.
9    If a vacancy in the board of trustees occurs prior to that
10date, either by death, resignation, refusal to qualify, ceasing
11to be an inhabitant of the district, or for any other reason,
12the vacancy shall be filled by the board within 60 days after
13the vacancy occurs. The person appointed shall qualify for
14office as provided in this Act and shall thereupon assume the
15duties of the office for the unexpired term to which the person
16was appointed only until the first Monday of May following the
17next regular election, and at that election a trustee shall be
18elected to fill the vacancy for any balance of the unexpired
19term and until the elected trustee has qualified.
20    (c) Election; terms; petitions.
21    Except as otherwise provided in Section 2A of the Election
22Code, the term of each elected trustee shall commence on the
23third Monday of May following the election and until his
24successor is elected and qualified. Of the initial trustees
25elected under this Section, 3 shall be elected for terms of 2
26years and 2 shall be elected for terms of 4 years. All

 

 

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1subsequent trustees shall be elected for 4 year terms.
2    No party designation shall appear on the ballot for
3election of trustees. The provisions of the general election
4law shall apply to and govern the nomination and election of
5trustees.
6    Nominations for members of the board of trustees shall be
7made by a petition signed by at least 25 voters or 5% of the
8voters, whichever is less, residing within the district and
9shall be filed with the secretary of the board. In addition to
10the requirements of general election law, the form of the
11petition shall be as follows:
12
NOMINATING PETITIONS
13    To the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of (name of fire
14protection district):
15    We, the undersigned, being (number of signatories or 5% or
16more) of the voters residing within the district, hereby
17petition that (name of candidate) who resides at (address of
18candidate) in this district shall be a candidate for the office
19of (office) of the Board of Trustees (full-term or vacancy) to
20be voted for at the election to be held (date of election).
21    The secretary of the board shall notify each candidate for
22whom a petition for nomination has been filed of their
23obligations under the Campaign Financing Act, as required by
24the general election law. The notice shall be given on a form
25prescribed by the State Board of Elections and in accordance
26with the requirements of the general election law.

 

 

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1    The secretary shall, within 7 days of filing or on the last
2day for filing, whichever is earlier, acknowledge to the
3petitioner in writing his acceptance of the petition.
4    The provisions of Section 4 relating to eligibility, powers
5and disabilities of trustees shall apply equally to elected
6trustees.
7    Whenever a fire protection district determines to elect
8trustees as provided in this Section, the trustees appointed
9pursuant to Section 4 shall continue to constitute the board of
10trustees until the third Monday of May following the first
11election of trustees. If the term of office of any appointed
12trustees expires before the first election of trustees, the
13authority which appointed that trustee under Section 4 of this
14Act shall appoint a successor to serve until a successor is
15elected and has qualified. The terms of all appointed trustees
16in such district shall expire on the third Monday of May
17following the first election of trustees under this Section or
18when successors have been elected and have qualified, whichever
19occurs later.
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.