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January/February 2020 Volume 11 | Issue 1 Upcoming Dates:

January 16-17: A look back on 10 Years of LINK IL Assn. of Drainage Conference by Brenda Matherly state are dealing February 18: For 10 years, our in-house, local gov- with and the ap- Governmental Affairs proaches they Leadership Conference ernment publication has been provid- (GALC) ing you with local information, news, use to solve them. February 26-27: and know-how! Rural Community This issue spotlights some of our key This bi-monthly Economic Development publication can Conference articles over the past decade, and a look at what’s coming in the weeks be found on our 17: and months ahead. website at: https://www.ilfb.org/ General Primary Election resources/media-and-publications/

April 14: It has been our goal for each issue of link/ Annual Meeting LINK to give you a glimpse of the lo- cal issues that across the LINK

Cities, & There’s a difference in by: Kirby Wagner the legislature under special acts. (September/October 2017) These special acts were called char-

As you drive through Illinois, you may ters. recognize similar signage as you ap- The constitution of 1870 eliminated proach the limits of each inhabited legislative ability to create new Did You Know…? area. That sign usually displays the towns. Instead, the legislature name of the , a slogan if passed a general law concerning the LINK just one exists, and occasionally a recent creation and powers of municipali- local state champion. ties. When a developing area desired completed its “The Town of”, “The of”, and to incorporate, it looked to the Illi- 10th year “The of”, phrases that pro- nois Municipal Code for the rules to of ceed the name of the municipality, follow. This practice continues today is the part of the signage that holds under the constitution of 1970. publication! important meaning. Those phrases This means that any new municipali- explain what type of municipality it ty would be a city or a village; (no Here’s to many is and explains its historical back- more towns will be created.) Towns, more! ground. however, were not required to drop Illinois’ first constitution had no ex- their “” designa- plicit instructions on the creation tion and incorporate as a city or a and powers of municipal govern- village. Towns may remain incorpo- ments that were, instead, created by (See on page 3) January/February 2020 PROPERTY TAX Page 2

Property Tax Bill A Better Understanding by Brenda Matherly create an ag- (March/April 2012) gregate rate. Tis the season. As Holidays That rate is wrap up, it’s a sign that winter paid by you, will eventually give way to long- the taxpayer, er and warmer days of spring. in relation to So when that happens, you can the value of start to expect a trip to the real property mailbox that will have you walk- you own. ing back to the house with your These individ- tax bill in hand, and a few ques- ual tax rates tions on your mind. One thing is are generally clear on that bill…the amount located in the due. But what else is included center portion on the statement, and how is of the tax bill that amount determined? listed next to their corre- All real property in Illinois is sponding tax- taxable unless specifically ex- ing . The tax bill is cal- (PIN), each parcel of property in empted by statute. The proper- culated by multiplying the ag- Illinois is assigned a unique PIN ty taxes you and your neighbors gregate tax rate by your proper- for the purpose of identifica- pay contribute to the lion's ty's assessed value. An example tion. This information is most share of revenue needed to op- of an aggregate rate of 7.986 is often found in the top portion of erate the local units of govern- provided below: the bill. ment that serve your and community. Along with the PIN, each proper- ty is given a tax code. This code Each taxing district goes through Example Tax Bill: represents the various taxing an annual budget process to de- County 1.021 districts that levy taxes against termine how much money they 4.468 your parcel of property. These will need to operate based on Road District 1.490 taxing districts usually include past experience and projections. Library District 0.219 the county, city, school district, An example of a taxing district Park District 0.788 park district, library (just to that might serve you include, name a few), in which the prop- county, , school dis- TOTAL 7.986 erty is located. All properties trict, fire protection district, with the same tax code have the library district, etc… As a matter same tax rate and are subject to of fact, Illinois ranks number Based on this example, a tax- the same taxing authorities. one among all states as having payer with this tax bill who's the largest number of local units Additional information on your property has an EAV of $30,000 bill may include the name and of government; 6994, give or would have an amount due of take. address of your township asses- $2,395. sor, the name of the township A large percentage of funding Your property's assessed value is where your property is located, for these units of local govern- identified and labeled as such a legal description of the prop- ment comes from your property on your tax bill. This value erty and perforated installment tax dollars. The amount need- equals 33 1/3% of the total fair slips to include with your pay- ed by each district is divided by value of the property. The as- ment. the total Equalized Assessed Val- sessed value is commonly locat- For additional information and ue (EAV) within the district's ed in the right-hand column of service area. This calculation definition of terms related to your tax bill. Included in that property taxes, visit Illinois De- determines the total tax rate for column may also be the proper- that district. The tax rate is partment of Revenue's website ty’s full value, the township at: https://www2.illinois.gov/ stated in terms of percentage of and/or county multipliers and a the district's total EAV. rev/research/publications/ list of property exemptions. Documents/pios/pio-16.pdf Once each district has calculat- On your tax bill, you will also LINK ed their tax rate, the county find the Property Index Number clerk combines those totals to Page 3

Cities

(Continued from page 1) the county as well as other cri- derman. The number of alder- teria, such as a minimum popu- men that represent a city is de- rated towns if they wish to do lation of 200 in permanent hous- pendent on population. Alder- so. ing. The minimum population men are elected from wards. requirement for incorporation as Aldermen serve staggered 4-year The 1,298 municipal govern- a city is 2,500 residents. terms so that elections are held ments in Illinois are made up of every 2 years. cities, villages, and towns. In villages, the trustees are the There are no significant differ- governing body. Normally village Illinois statutes also offer more ences of legal powers or status, boards are served by 6 trustees complex variations that may be but there is a difference in their adopted by cities or villages creation and governing bodies. needing a more specific make up. These variations are the There were approximately 394 commission form, the manager towns created through special form, the administrator form, charter prior to the 1870 consti- the special charter form, and tution. Nineteen of those towns the strong mayoral form. Each still exist today. Towns operate form provides its own guidelines under the provisions of the char- for the selection of officers, ters they were created under. their powers and duties, and the Most municipal governments general function of government. function with City Aldermen or Each municipality has its own Village Trustees. There are dif- but, can be reduced to 4 trus- story of creation. There is a dif- ferences under these standard ference between the three forms, such as the number of tees following a referendum in favor of the change. Trustees types and that difference is not members of the governing body, in authorities, or status, but it terms, and representation. can be elected either by district or at large. Trustees serve 4- represents a significant part of Rules for incorporation of a city year terms unless a referendum Illinois history that lives on to- and a village are different. The passes to approve a 2-year term. day. requirements to incorporate as a LINK village vary with population of City governments are run by al-

County Budget Process Should Involve You! by Brenda Matherly A county needs revenue to pro- will encourage citizen involve- (May/June 2009) vide services such as road ment at the county level and in- Webster's dictionary defines maintenance, protection of peo- spire involvement in other units budget as "a summary of intend- ple and property and conducting of . local elections. The three prima- ed expenditures along with pro- posals for how to meet them." ry revenue sources for counties Counties define budget as "a doc- are: property tax; sales tax; and, County expenditures break down ument through which the board intergovernmental assistance. Of into four primary areas of spend- determines what services will be those, property tax is the reve- ing. Those areas are social ser- provided, how they will be fund- nue frontrunner. vices and income maintenance, ed and to what level they will be governmental administration, funded." What it really boils transportation and public safety. Both property taxes and daily op- down to is “money in vs. money Support for public out.” In the case of the county, erations of county government welfare, hospital that simple definition has signifi- affect the majority of land own- and health care cant impact on the programs and ers in Illinois. That said, few cit- services offered to its residents. izens get involved in the county (See Budget on page 5) budget process. Maybe a better understanding of that process January/February 2020 ZONING Page 4 County Zoning and Agriculture by Brenda Matherly preserve farmland and open (May/June 2016) spaces, guide orderly develop- ment, provide for more effi- cient delivery of services, and Is zoning the “four letter” word help protect the public’s safety it is often perceived to be? The and well-being. answer to that question often depends on who’s asking. CONTROLS DIFFERING VIEWS However, there are also some drawbacks to zoning. It creates For landowners concerned some restrictions on the use of about the development of activ- property and adds administra- ities and structures built around tive costs to the local units of their property, they might view government. It also institutes it as a protective benefit. For “red tape” for citizens includ- those landowners interested in ing, permits government review Zone District Types unimpeded development of of proposed use and associated their own property, they might  costs to the property owner. A Agriculture view it as a restrictive limita-  R Residential tion. In reality, each view holds  C Commercial a bit of truth, but neither view,  I Industrial by itself, is entirely accurate. Zoning can impact four primary factors of development for most Other specialized types also exist properties. Those four factors are: location, property use, the locally. So long as landowners’ unre- intensity of the project and set- strained freedom to exercise Any of these may be further di- back limitations. their own interests is not vided into sub-districts threated by others, they tend to locally. view zoning as a limitation. On the flip side, when landowners’ AGRICULTURE interests are threatened by the But, what impact does zoning Ag Districts – Possible Sub- unrestricted actions of others, have on agriculture? The Illinois they tend to view zoning as a statute says… “the powers in District Types protection. this section of statute shall not Use and Intensity be exercised…so as to impose regulations or require permits  A-1 Ag only ESSENCE with respect to land used or to  A-2 Ag & minimal other be used for agricultural purpos- uses So, maybe the easier question es…or with respect to …  A-3 Ag & more intensive to answer is, what is zoning? buildings or structures used or other uses The short-and-sweet definition to be used for agricultural pur- is, the locally-designed and ad- poses upon such land except “Other” might include: ministered division of land into that such buildings or struc-  Residential – non-farm, single different types and degrees of tures…may be required to con- or multiple uses. form to building or set back  Light industrial or cottage lines…”  Light commercial This type of administration of  Conservation land use can be useful in many In other words—when it comes ways. It can prevent incompati- to agriculture—of the four pri- ble uses of adjacent property, (See Zoning on page 7) mary restrictions of zoning men- BUDGET Page 5

Budget

(Continued from page 3) public for review at least 15 days et calendar, the county’s finance before final action is taken. committee begins their work with services are dollars spent from the departmental staff to estab- the area of social services and lish each department's revenue income maintenance. Financial and expense budget. Each de- administration, judicial opera- The annual budget must contain a statement of receipts and pay- partment completes their esti- tions and employee benefits are ments, as well as revenue and mates and submits their prelimi- considered government admin- expenditures from the previous nary budgets around July or early istration. Highway maintenance year. A statement of money in August. falls under transportation. Sup- the county treasury that was not port for police, fire and correc- spent in the last fiscal year must tion facility services are exam- also be reported. Looking ahead, The finance committee continues ples of dollars spent on public safety. the county must include an esti- to work with individual depart- mate of income as well as a de- ments and local officials to final- tailed estimate of expenditures ize the preliminary estimates. for the current fiscal year. During this time, the finance With so many valuable services at committee, or county administra- stake, citizen involvement in the tor, may hold meetings with indi- county budget process will lead vidual departments and local offi- to a better understanding of cials to make budget adjust- where tax dollars go and in- ments. Once this process is com- crease the level of confidence pleted, the committee will report in local government. on the budget process to the full county board. This usually takes place in mid to late fall. Citizen involvement also helps county government identify the The finance committee is also spending and program priorities responsible for holding a public of local residents. hearing on the proposed budget. These hearings are subject to the open meetings act and must be The first step to getting involved During the budget process, the published in a newspaper of gen- is understanding the county budg- county (in counties under town- eral circulation not more than 14 et process timeline. This also ship form of government,) fi- days or less than 7 days prior to presents the first challenge. Illi- nance committee is responsible the hearing. The public hearings nois has no state-mandated uni- for the majority of the budget are the final stages in the budget form timeline for the county development. Therefore, the process. Citizen involvement at budget process. Each county de- next step is getting involved at this stage has little influence on termines their fiscal year and the county board's committee the final budget. level. Attend committee meet- adopts their own ordinances and guidelines within the parameters ings and get to know those local of that fiscal year. However, the officials who sit on the county Following the hearing, the fi- majority of counties in Illinois board. nance committee reviews any ap- end their fiscal year on November peals and has the authority to 30. make final adjustments to the The process begins with the crea- proposed budget. Prior to No- tion of a budget calendar. The vember 30, the finance commit- State statute does require a num- calendar is designed to outline tee submits the proposed budget ber of procedures that counties county administration deadlines to the county board for final ap- must follow when preparing, pre- and assign responsibilities to the proval and adoption. December 1 senting and approving their annu- county administration. For the begins the start of the new fiscal al budget. For starters, Illinois majority of the counties in Illi- year. state statute requires all counties nois, that process begins in June. to prepare an annual budget. LINK The counties must also make that proposed budget available to the Following the creation of a budg- January/February 2020 Page 6 Township Government: The Grassroots Form of Government by Brenda Matherly as the grassroots government tending this meeting is the only (March/April 2014) because it is one of the closest instance in which the citizens Illinois is known for its many levels of government to the peo- have a direct say in how their units of local government; 6994 ple. government is run. For more information on the Annual Town units, give or take. Included in that number are the 1429 civil Meeting, be sure to check out townships spread through 85 The role of township govern- our upcoming March/April LINK counties in the state, not to be ment, by statute, is to provide publication. confused with congressional three primary functions: general townships. assistance programs to qualify- ing residents; property assess- Townships have elected officials ment; and maintenance of town- who are responsible for per- In Illinois, there are two kinds of ship roads and bridges. General forming prescribed duties to townships. The civil township assistance at the township level help facilitate the roles and ser- refers to the actual unit of gov- provides help to the impover- vices of the township. The su- ernment, which is different from ished, according to local stand- pervisor is one of those elected the congressional township. The ards and needs. Accurate prop- officials. By statute, the super- congressional township is a erty assessments provide income visor is the chief executive of- measurement of area set up in a by valuing property for the pur- ficer of the township. He or she grid-like system consisting of six pose of taxation used to help also serves as treasurer of the -mile squares across the state. fund all local units of govern- township funds, ex officio treas- ment. urer of the road and bridge fund, supervisor of general assis-

While the concept of township tance and a member of the government dates back to the Beyond these mandated func- board of trustees. Anglo-Saxon era in England, it tions, many townships offer a was not established in Illinois variety of social services de- until 1848 under the 1848 state signed to improve life for their The town clerk, also elected, is constitution. At that time, Illi- residents. These services can the keeper of all the township nois had 99 counties. In the include senior citizen and youth records, performs election du- first year, a quarter of those programs, transportation, and ties, distributes advertisements counties adopted this structure maintenance. and notices for the township and the road district, and convenes of government. By the second year, over two thirds of the the Annual . counties were on board. Today, Another important function of 85 of our 102 counties operate the township is to hold the An- under the township form of gov- nual Town Meeting. Every town- Each township has four trustees ernment. ship is required to hold this elected at large, known as the meeting on the second Tuesday board of trustees. Generally in April each year. So mark your speaking, the board to trustees Its popularity is due, in part, to calendar for April 14 this year. serves as the legislative body its accountability. This form of At these meetings, those that and sets township policy. show up have the power. At- government is often referred to And finally, the township high- way commissioner is the elected official in charge of the roads and bridges in the road district. While the highway commissioner might be considered a township official, the road district is real

(See Township on page 7) INVOLVEMENT Page 7

Celebrating our 2019 Liberty Bell Winners by Brenda Matherly legislative programs throughout the year.

Congratulations to our most recent Liberty Bell winners. The five counties that will be proudly Winning this award is a tribute to the priority our displaying the prestigious Liberty Bell trophy this organization places on being actively involved in year are: local affairs and legislative activities.

 Edwards County Farm Bureau® As we look to the future, we see more and more  Ogle County Farm Bureau® opportunity for county Farm Bureau staff and lead- ® ership to keep up the good work and take an active  Pike-Scott Farm Bureau ® role in all things local. Whether it’s having input  Wayne County Farm Bureau on legislation impacting local issues, developing a  Will County Farm Bureau® relationship with local government officials, creat- ing local policy or Now in its 56th serving as an year, the award elected official. recognizes out- standing efforts Let’s continue to by a county Farm make local in- Bureau in both volvement a priority! local affairs and LINK Township Zoning

(Continued from page 6) (Continued from page 4) a ruling (DeKalb v. Vidmar 1993) that—in certain cases—considers ly a separate unit of govern- tioned above (location, use, in- the farmer’s residence as a part ment. This means the board of tensity and setback), only set- of the farm and thereby is gen- trustees and the township su- back limitations apply. Counties erally subject to only those local pervisor have no authority over may not use zoning to regulate zoning regulations that apply to the highway commissioner or land and buildings used for agri- other farm buildings. the operations of the road dis- cultural purposes including limi- trict, except for approval of the tations on size, location and de- road district budget. sign. However, the county can SUMMARY require that farmers get a per- Getting to know your township mit when building or expanding Limiting the impacts and re- officials and learning more structures. While the county strictions zoning has on agricul- about how that unit of govern- may not charge for that permit, ture helps to maintain the via- ment is run is a great oppor- the permitting process does al- bility of ag industry statewide. tunity to better understand the low for easier administration Still, counties that have zoning opportunities and challenges and recording of new/improved and those that are considering facing your community and your property throughout the county. zoning deal with difficult deci- government. sions impacting all property.

Counties can also place setback For more information on town- restrictions on ag buildings. While zoning may or may not be ship government visit the web- These setback restrictions are a “four-letter” word, it does site of the Township Officials of generally intended to provide create both limitations and ben- Illinois (TOI) at http:// some distance between the efits. Balancing those is key to www.toi.org/. its acceptance as an effective building and property bounda- administrative tool for providing LINK ries, roads and public right-of- way. for the general welfare of the citizens of the county.

An Appellate Court also held up LINK January/February 2020 GOVERNMENT Page 8

Intergovernmental Cooperation It’s a means of improving efficiencies that has a myriad of applications in Illinois with its nearly 7,000 units of local government. by Kevin Rund tion. In fact, our policy #106 is ernmental cooperation can be (January/February 2013) all about intergovernmental co- applied to an array of other coop- Back when I was a kid on the operation. erative efforts, too, such as: vol- ume materials purchasing, pro- family farm, my Dad and uncle State statute includes the Inter- farmed separately. But, when it fessional services, shared EMS governmental Cooperation Act (5 programs, joint youth or senior came to the single most expen- ILCS 220/.) sive piece of equipment they programs, combined planning ef- both needed, they shared in the What are some examples? Well, forts, etc. There’s almost no cost of a combine and coordinat- like the combine on the farm, limit to what two or more units ed their harvest efforts accord- expensive pieces of road mainte- of government can share if they ingly. nance equipment that see limited can forge a mutually-acceptable use throughout the year can of- joint governmental agreement. That joint purchasing and coordi- ten be shared between road dis- nated use is still done by farmers Cities get into the act, too. As tricts—particularly those that an example, in at least one case, today. But it’s also a great way have relatively few miles of road for local units of government to the county contracts with the to maintain and/or limited capi- city to operate the county’s zon- pool resources for significant cost tal budgets. savings and efficiencies. ing program. One set of person- There are several examples of nel and one office with computer Article VII of the 1970 Illinois counties owning a specialized equipment used to operate two Constitution encourages the use piece of equipment that share it separate zoning ordinances. of intergovernmental cooperation with township road dis- Check with units of local govern- by all units of government. Illi- tricts. County highway depart- nois Farm Bureau® policy paral- ment in your own county to learn ments often organize volume whether they’re taking advantage lels that stance. It suggests, in equipment purchases that benefit part, we will work with all inter- of this approach. It could be well not only the road districts, but worth your effort in finding sav- ested groups and organizations to the county as well. identify methods which can be ings for taxpayers. implemented locally to encour- Don’t limit your thinking to LINK age local government coopera- equipment ownership. Intergov-

2020

February 6 Early Voting begins

February 18 Regular registration ends

February 19 Grace period registration and voting begins

March 1 Online registration ends

March 16 Early Voting ends

March 17 Election Day ELECTION Page 9

March General Primary — March 17, 2020

TO BE NOMINATED*

 President  Senator  Representatives in Congress - All 18 Districts  State Senators Districts: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 58 (for 2- year term)  Representatives in the General Assembly - All 118 Districts  Commissioners/Trustees (Prairie DuPont Levee & Sanitary District Candidates file with SBE)  Circuit Clerks  Recorders (in counties with a population of 60,000 or more inhabitants)  State’s Attorney  Auditors (in counties with a population over 75,000 and under 3,000,000)  Coroners  Regional Superintendent of Schools (vacancies)  County Commissioners (Counties not under township organiza- tion)  County Board Members (Counties under township organization)  Judges (Additional Judgeships if required) Supreme Court Judges, Vacancies will be filled Appellate Court Judges, Vacancies will be filled Circuit Court Judges, Vacancies will be filled Resident Circuit Court Judges, Vacancies will be filled Subcircuit Judges, Vacancies will be filled

Source: Illinois State Board of Elections

TO BE ELECTED  Delegates and Alternate Delegates (In accordance with approved Delegate Selection Plans)  Precinct Committeemen (all counties, excluding Cook)  Committeemen (City of )

*10 ILCS 5/7-19 Ballot Order President of the United States, State offices, congressional offices, delegates and alternate delegates, trustees of sanitary districts, county offices, judicial offices, municipal offices (municipalities with annual elections) precinct or ward committeemen.

QUESTIONS OF PUBLIC POLICY

Whether there is a referendum question on your ballot will depend on whether either a local board passed a resolution—or voters signed petitions—to place such a question on the ballot. Questions can be binding or advisory and can range from issues of land use to tax rates to establishment (or dissolution) of local units of government and more. You can inquire of your county clerk for information about question(s) that will appear on the ballot in your precinct. January/February 2020 CONFERENCES Page 10 The 31st Annual Rural Community Economic Development Conference Source: Rural Partners signed to discuss creative strate- gies for the future of rural Illi- The Illinois Institute for Rural Af- nois . fairs will host the 31st Annual Economic Development Confer- The Illinois Institute for Rural Af- ence "Designing Our Future to fairs will soon be providing de- Reach New Heights," February 26- tails and additional information 27, 2020, at the President Abra- on their website at: https:// ham Lincoln Hotel, 701 E Adams www.iira.org/

Springfield, IL. LINK This annual statewide conference is uniquely focused on improving the quality of life for small rural communities throughout the state, featuring speakers from Illinois and beyond, who will share their experience and exper- tise. The event will feature ses- sion speakers, as well as breakout sessions addressing strategies de-

Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference Leadership of our Legacy

On February 18, 2020, Illi- tact your county Farm nois Farm Bureau will hold Bureau manager. For de- its annual Governmental tails, visit our event web- Affairs Leadership Confer- site at www.ilfb.org/ ence (GALC) at the Presi- GALC dent Abraham Lincoln ho- tel in Springfield, Illinois. Hotel reservations must be made through county This one day conference Farm Bureaus. A block of will feature dynamic rooms has been reserved. speakers, information, and training sessions on Much more information to key issues impacting agri- come. Visit the website culture, public policy and for the latest. organizational priorities. LINK Farm Bureau leaders will have an opportunity to keep up with current issues and Reserve your place at this confer- network with agency representa- ence! To register, you may con- tives and elected officials.

LINK is published by the Illinois Farm Bureau® Governmental Affairs & Commodities staff 1701 Towanda Avenue Bloomington, IL 61701 309-557-3207 www.ilfb.org [email protected]