Illinois Compiled Statutes
60 ILCS 1/ - Township Code.
Article 5 - Adoption Of Township Organization

(60 ILCS 1/Art. 5 heading)

 
(60 ILCS 1/5-5)
Sec. 5-5.
Vote on organization.
At any general election held in the several
counties in this State, the qualified voters in any county may vote for or
against township organization in the county.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-10)
Sec. 5-10.
Referendum.
Whenever a proposition or public question is required
to be submitted under this Code for approval or rejection by the electors at an
election, the time and manner of conducting the referendum shall be in
accordance with the general election law.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-15)
Sec. 5-15.
Form of proposition.
The county board, on the petition of
10% or
more of the legal voters of the county, shall certify and cause to be
submitted to the
voters of the county the question of township organization under this Article.
The proposition shall be substantially in the form: "For township
organization" or "Against township organization".

(Source: P.A. 88-62; 89-365, eff. 8-18-95.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-20)
Sec. 5-20.
Abstract of election returns.
The county clerk shall enter an
abstract of the returns of the election, prepared and certified as in elections
for county officers, file the abstract in the records of the county, and
certify an exact copy of the abstract and cause it to be delivered to the
State Comptroller.

(Source: P.A. 83-343; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-25)
Sec. 5-25.
Effect of vote.
If it appears by the returns of the election that
a majority of the legal voters of the county are for township organization,
then, the county so voting in favor of adopting township organization shall be
governed by and subject to the provisions of this Code on and after the first
Tuesday of April of the next succeeding odd-numbered year. A majority of the
voters voting at the election shall be deemed a majority of the voters of the
county.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-30)
Sec. 5-30.
Appointment of commissioners to divide county into townships.
The
presiding officer of the county board, with the advice and consent of the
county board, shall at the next session of the county board appoint 3
commissioners to divide the county into townships. The commissioners shall be
residents of the county. The commissioners shall be paid for their services by
the county.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-35)
Sec. 5-35.
Division of county into townships.
The commissioners shall
proceed to divide the county into townships, making them conform to the
townships according to government surveys. Fractional townships may be attached
to adjoining townships if the number of the inhabitants or the amount of
territory of a fractional township is not sufficient for a separate township.
If a township has too few inhabitants for a separate organization, then the
township may be added to some adjoining township or divided between 2 or
more townships for the time being. When a creek or river so divides a township
that it is inconvenient for transacting township business, the creek or river
may be made the township boundary, and the fractions so formed may be disposed
of as other fractional townships.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-40)
Sec. 5-40.
Township names.
Townships shall be named in accordance with the
express wish of the inhabitants of the township. If there is not a degree of
unanimity as to the name, the commissioners may designate the name. The county
board may change the name of any township in its county upon a petition of a
majority of the voters of the township. No 2 townships in the State shall have
the same name.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-45)
Sec. 5-45.
Commissioners' report.
The commissioners shall make a written
report of their proceedings, giving the names and bounds of each township. They
shall present the report to the county clerk on or before the first day of
March next succeeding.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-50)
Sec. 5-50.
Abstract of commissioners' report.
The county clerk shall, within
30 days after receiving the commissioners' report, transmit by mail to the
Secretary of State an abstract of the report. The abstract shall give the
bounds of each township and the name designated for each township. The clerk
shall record the commissioners' report in a book kept for that purpose.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-55)
Sec. 5-55. Duplicate township names. If the Secretary of State, on comparing
the abstracts of the reports from the several counties, finds that any 2 or
more townships within a single county are named alike, he or she shall so inform the clerk of the county. The county board of that county shall, at its next
meeting, adopt for one of the townships a different name. When the name is adopted,
the county clerk shall inform the Secretary of State as provided in Section
5-50.

(Source: P.A. 102-148, eff. 7-23-21.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-60)
Sec. 5-60.
Record of township names and boundaries.
The Secretary of State
shall keep a record of the names and boundaries of the several townships.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-65)
Sec. 5-65.
Township election.
The township election shall be scheduled in
accordance with and conducted in the manner required by the Election Code.

(Source: P.A. 87-471; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-70)
Sec. 5-70.
Refusal to organize township; annexation.
(a) If any township refuses or neglects to organize and elect township
officers, the county board of the county may order another election for that
purpose at the time of the next regular election scheduled under the general
election law. The county board shall appoint qualified residents of the
township to serve in the township offices and to perform the duties and possess
all the rights and powers of those offices until the regular election of
officers provided in this Code.
(b) If the township does not then organize and elect officers, the county
board may, at any regular or special meeting, appoint the necessary officers
for the township. The persons so appointed shall hold their offices until the
next annual township meeting and until their successors are elected or
appointed and qualified.
(c) If the persons appointed under subsection (b) fail to qualify as required
by law or if, at any time after the organization of the township, the electors
of the township refuse to elect or appoint officers or to exercise the powers
required by law, the county board may annex the township to an adjoining
township. The township so annexed shall thereafter constitute a part of the
township to which it is annexed.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/5-75)
Sec. 5-75.
Township co-extensive with city or village.
When, in any county
under township organization, there is any territory co-extensive with the
limits of a city or village situated in the county and not included within any
organized township, that territory shall constitute a township by the name of
the city or village. All provisions of this Code shall apply to the township so
constituted, the same as if it had been organized under this Article in the
case of the organization of new townships.

(Source: P.A. 82-783; 88-62.)
 
(60 ILCS 1/7-27)
(This Section was renumbered Section 70-27 in P.A. 101-81)
Sec. 7-27. (Renumbered).

(Source: P.A. 100-983, eff. 1-1-19. Renumbered by P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)

Structure Illinois Compiled Statutes