70 ILCS 3710/1

Current through Public Act 103-1056
Section 70 ILCS 3710/1 - Incorporation

Any area not included within the corporate boundaries of a city, village or incorporated town may be incorporated as a water service district in the manner following:

Fifty or more of the legal voters resident within the limits of such proposed district or a majority thereof if less than 100, may petition the circuit court for the county which contains all or the largest portion of the proposed district to cause the question to be submitted to the legal voters of such proposed district, whether such proposed territory shall be organized as a water service district under this Act; such 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 district, and the name of such proposed district; Provided, that the territory incorporated in any district formed hereunder shall be contiguous and may contain any territory not previously included in any water service district.

Upon filing any such petition in the office of the circuit clerk of the county in which such petition is made, it shall be the duty of the court to consider the boundaries of any such proposed water service district whether the same shall be those stated in the petition or otherwise.

Notice shall be given by the court to whom the petition is addressed of the time and place of a hearing upon the subject of the petition which shall be inserted in one or more daily or weekly papers published within the proposed water service district, or if no daily or weekly newspaper is published within such proposed water service district, then by posting at least 10 copies in such district at least 20 days before such meeting in conspicuous places as far separated from each other as consistently possible.

At such hearing all persons in such proposed water service district shall have an opportunity to be heard touching the location and boundary of such proposed district and make suggestions regarding the same, and the court, after hearing statements, evidence and suggestions, shall fix and determine the limits and boundaries of such proposed district, and for that purpose and to that extent, may alter and amend such petition. After such determination by the court the same shall be incorporated in an order which shall be filed in the records of the court. Upon the entering of such order the court shall certify the proposition to the proper election officials, who shall submit to the legal voters of the proposed district such question of organization and establishment of the proposed water service district as determined by the judge, at an election to be held in the proposed district in accordance with the general election law. Notice whereof shall be given by the court in the manner provided by the general election law. Such notice shall specify the description of such proposed district.

Each legal voter resident within such proposed district shall have the right to cast a ballot at such election. The proposition under this section shall be in substantially the following form:

------------------------------------------------------------------------ For Water Service District ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Against Water Service District ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The court shall cause a written statement of the results of such election to be filed of record in the court. If a majority of the votes cast upon the question shall be in favor of the incorporation of the proposed water service district, such district shall thenceforth be an organized water service district under this Act, and the court shall enter an order accordingly and cause the same to be filed of record in the court and shall also cause to be sent to the County Clerk of any and all other counties in which any portion of the district lies a certified copy of the order organizing such district and a plot of the same indicating what lands of the district lie in such other county or counties.

70 ILCS 3710/1

P.A. 83-343.