Illinois Code § 6

§ 6.

The court may continue the hearing on the petition from time to time. Should it appear at such public hearing that a part only of any municipality is included within the territory described in the petition then the petition shall be amended upon motion of the petitioners either to include or exclude all of such municipality, and such motion shall be allowed by the court. Upon such public hearing the petitioners may also move to otherwise amend the petition or to dismiss or to withdraw it, and any such motion shall be allowed by the court. If such petition is not dismissed or withdrawn, the court by written order shall find and determine whether such territory meets the requirements of this Act, and the sufficiency of the petition as filed or amended, and of the proceedings thereon. Should 2 or more petitions covering in part the same territory be filed prior to the public hearing, such petitions shall be consolidated for public hearing, and hearing upon the first petition which is filed may be continued to permit the giving of notice of any such subsequent petition or petitions. At the public hearing upon such petitions, the petitioners in the petition first filed may move to amend such petition to include any part of the territory described in the subsequent petition or petitions, either as originally filed or as amended. Any such motion shall be allowed by the court. The public hearing shall proceed upon the first petition as originally filed or as so amended, and further proceedings upon any such other petitions subsequently filed shall be stayed and held in abeyance until the termination of all proceedings upon the first petition, or any such petition may be dismissed or withdrawn upon motion of the petitioners therein by their representatives. If such territory, petition and proceedings meet the requirements of this Act, the court shall in, and by the order finding and determining the sufficiency of the petition and that the territory meets the requirements of the Act or by a separate order, order the proposition submitted to referendum in accordance with the general election law. The clerk of the circuit court shall certify the order and the proposition to the appropriate election officials who shall submit the proposition to the voters at an election in accordance with the general election law. (Source: P.A. 81-1489.)