Illinois Code § 22-20

§ 22-20.

Consolidated township. (a) On the third Monday of May of the year in which township officials are elected following the approval of a referendum under Section 22-10, the following shall occur: (1) the separate townships cease and the consolidated township is created; (2) all rights, powers, duties, assets, and property, together with all personnel, contractual obligations, other obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities of the separate townships are transferred to the consolidated township; those rights include, but are not limited to, the authority to continue to collect, receive, and expend the proceeds of any tax levied by any of the separate townships prior to the creation of the consolidated township without an additional ordinance, resolution, or referendum; the proceeds of any tax levied by any of the separate townships prior to the creation of the consolidated township shall be expended or disposed of by the consolidated township in the same manner as such assessments might have been expended or disposed of by the separate townships; however, if the consolidated township board determines that there is a surplus in the fund for general township purposes on December 31 of the calendar year in which the consolidation occurs, then any portion of the surplus that is solely attributable to the consolidation shall be refunded to the owners of record of taxable property within the consolidated district on a pro rata basis; and (3) road districts located within the separate townships are abolished. (b) When a new township is created, a new road district encompassing the consolidated township is created. All the rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, obligations, and responsibilities of the separate road districts shall vest in and be assumed by the new road district as provided for in the resolutions adopted under Section 22-5. The new township board of trustees shall exercise the taxing authority of a road district abolished under this Section. The highway commissioners of the abolished road districts shall cease to hold office on the date the road district is abolished. The new township board shall exercise all duties and responsibilities of the highway commissioner as provided in the Illinois Highway Code. For purposes of distribution of revenue, the new township shall assume the powers, duties, and obligations of the road district of the dissolving road district. The new township board may enter into a contract with the county, a municipality, or a private contractor to administer the roads under the new road district. (c) When a township consolidates into an existing township, all the rights, powers, duties, assets, property, liabilities, obligations, and responsibilities of the abolished road districts shall vest in and be assumed by the existing township's road district as provided for in the resolutions adopted under Section 22-5. The consolidated township board of trustees shall exercise the taxing authority of a road district abolished under this Section. Highway commissioners of the abolished road districts shall cease to hold office on the date the road district is abolished. The consolidated township shall exercise all duties and responsibilities of the highway commissioner as provided in the Illinois Highway Code. For purposes of distribution of revenue, the existing township's road district or districts shall assume the powers, duties, and obligations of the road district of the dissolving road district. (Source: P.A. 100-107, eff. 1-1-18.)