HB1177 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 04964 AWJ 49975 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1177

Introduced 1/31/2023, by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

70 ILCS 705/3

from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 23

Amends the Fire Protection District Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning annexation of territory.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by changing Section 3 as follows:

(70 ILCS 705/3) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 23)

Sec. 3. Additional contiguous territory having the the qualifications set forth in Section 1 may be added to any fire protection district as provided for in this Act in the manner following:

(a) One percent or more of the legal voters resident within the limits of the proposed addition to the fire protection district may petition the court of the county in which the original petition for the formation of the fire protection district was filed, to cause the question to be submitted to the legal voters of the proposed additional territory whether the proposed additional territory shall become a part of any contiguous fire protection district organized under this Act and whether the voters of the additional territory shall assume a proportionate share of the bonded indebtedness of the district. The petition shall be addressed to the court and shall contain a definite description of the boundaries of the territory to be embraced in the proposed addition and shall allege facts in support of such addition.

Upon filing the petition in the office of the circuit clerk of the county in which the original petition for the formation of the fire protection district was filed, it shall be the duty of the court to fix a time and place of a hearing upon the subject of the petition.

Notice shall be given by the court, or by the circuit clerk or sheriff upon order of the court of the county in which the petition is filed, of the time and place of a hearing upon the petition in the manner as provided in Section 1. The conduct of the hearing on the question whether the proposed additional territory shall become a part of the fire protection district shall be carried out in the manner described in Section 1, as nearly as may be. The question shall be in substantially the following form:

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For joining the.... Fire Protection District and assuming a proportionate share of bonded indebtedness, if any.

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Against joining the.... Fire Protection District and assuming a proportionate share of bonded indebtedness, if any.

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If a majority of the votes cast at the election upon the question of becoming a part of any contiguous fire protection district are in favor of becoming a part of that fire protection district and if the trustees of the fire protection district accept the proposed additional territory by resolution, the proposed additional territory shall be deemed an integral part of that fire protection district and shall be subject to all the benefits of service and responsibilities of the district as set forth in this Act.

(a-5) Any fire protection district organized under the provisions of this Act may be simultaneously dissolved and consolidated into an adjoining fire protection district upon like petition, hearing and election as is provided under Section 1 of this Act for the organization of such district, except that the ballot for such election shall be in substantially the following form:

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Shall the ... Fire Protection District dissolve and be consolidated YES into the ... Fire

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Protection District? NO

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If a majority of the votes cast on the question at such election are in favor of such dissolution and consolidation, and if the board of trustees of the adjoining district agrees by resolution to accept the territory comprising the dissolved district, the circuit court of the county in which the petition was filed shall enter an order on the records of the court dissolving and consolidating such district. On the effective date of the simultaneous dissolution and consolidation, all the rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, indebtedness, obligations, bonding authority, taxing authority, and responsibilities of the former district shall vest in and be assumed by the fire protection district assuming the territory of the former district.

(b) The owner or owners of any tract or tracts of land, contiguous to an existing fire protection district and not already included in a fire protection district, may file a written petition, addressed to the trustees of the fire protection district to which they seek to have their tract or tracts of land attached, containing a definite description of the boundaries of the territory and a statement that they desire that their property become a part of the fire protection district to which their petition is addressed, and that they are willing that their property assume a proportionate share of the bonded indebtedness, if any, of the fire protection district.

When such a petition is filed with the trustees, they shall immediately pass a resolution to accept or reject the territory proposed to be attached. If the trustees resolve in favor of accepting the territory, they shall file with the court of the county where the fire protection district was organized the original petition and a certified copy of the resolution, and the court shall then enter an order stating that the proposed annexed territory shall be deemed an integral part of that fire protection district and subject to all of the benefits of service and responsibilities of the district. The circuit clerk shall transmit a certified copy of the order to the county clerk of each county in which any of the territory affected is situated and to the State Fire Marshal.

(c) Upon the annexation of territory by a district, the boundary shall extend to the far side of any adjacent highway and shall include all of every highway within the area annexed. These highways shall be considered to be annexed even though not included in the legal description set forth in the petition for annexation.

(Source: P.A. 98-1003, eff. 1-1-15.)