Legislative Scene

by Eugene Berghoff
Director Government Services

REPORT ON BILLS

H.B. 2336

Representative Harry "Bus" Yourell (D) Oak Lawn, Chairman of the House Counties & Township Committee and Chairman of the Sub-Committee that heard testimony on H.B. 2336 announced at the Annual Conference Banquet that the sponsor, Representative Doug Kane (D) Springfield, had requested that the bill be withdrawn. Representative Yourell was attending our Annual Conference to receive a plaque recognizing his support of park and recreation legislation.

I urge the Association and its members not to become complacent because of the action taken on H.B. 2336. We have won the first battle, but the war will continue over the next several years to reduce the number of local government units in Illinois.

You and your district should prove to the taxpayer that their dollars have been spent wisely. Coordinate a campaign to keep citizens involved in the day-to-day functions of your operations.

Support candidates in your community in the 1980 elections that adopt in their platform favorable recognitions of good local government without the State mandating your future.

The Association needs your support to continue their fight to defeat this type of legislation. Our future success will depend on teamwork.

H.B. 2811

This bill, to boost the bond interest rate of local governments, was amended by Representative J. Schneider (D), Naperville at the request of your Association.

It provides that interest rates are raised on bonds and other evidences of indebtedness not to exceed 9% or 60% of the prime commercial rate as from time-to-time quoted by the largest commercial banking institution located in this state measured in terms of total assets.

The bill was signed by Governor James Thompson on Thursday, November 8, 1979 and is effective immediately.

H.B. 2840

House Speaker William Redmond (D), Bensenville, introduced this legislation to roll back high real estate taxes if the corporate personal property tax replacement law is upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Speaker Redmond stated that "the uncertainty over the replacement tax has caused taxing districts this year to levy property taxes without deducting the amount of replacement money they will receive in 1980."

H.B. 2840 could get a hearing early in January. This bill would make it permissive for all taxing units outside of Chicago to roll back tax levies by resolution in 1980.

H.B. 2838

Deuster, et al - Amends Revenue Act; limits real property tax to 2% of fair cash value, effective January 1, 1981.

H.B. 2839

Deuster - amends Revenue Act; limits increases in single family residential real property tax assessments to 2% above assessments of the immediate preceding year.

CONSOLIDATED ELECTIONS

The State Election Board will conduct a number of seminars during the spring of 1980 to brief local officials on the conduct of elections starting in 1981. A schedule will be sent to member districts as soon as the dates and places are announced by the election board. You should have a representative in attendance to learn the actual role your district will play in future local elections.

Don't forget that a boundary map of your districts as of January 1, 1980, must be sent to your county clerk or Election Board by March 1, 1980.

STATE CONTRACTS FOR OFFICE SUPPLIES AWARDED

The State of Illinois has awarded its annual contracts for a host of office and office-related supplies. The items, at the prices agreed to with the State, are available to any local government through the joint purchasing program.

Most of the contracts call for a minimum order of $150 delivered to your locality. The contracts cover nearly every imaginable item ranging from paper to felt-tip pens.

Each contract is competitively bid, thus fulfilling a local government's legal requirements in this area. Participation is strictly voluntary, which means local governments may purchase from any or all existing contracts.

Additional information on what items are available, their prices, or how to become eligible to participate in the program, may be obtained by phoning Chuck Woods at (217) 782-5883.

ENERGY BOND FUND PROGRAM

One million dollars in grant funds are now available to business, industrial, university, governmental organizations, or individuals in Illinois to search for viable alternative energy resources.

The Illinois Coal and Energy Development Bond Act provides $5 million in state bonds to promote the development of alternative energy technologies. The Illinois General Assembly has appropriated the first $1 million under the act for Fiscal Year 1980.

The Illinois Institute of Natural Resources (INR) administers the program. All energy development projects recommended for funding by INR are subject to approval by the Illinois Energy Resources Commission.

To make the state funds available in a competitive manner, INR has published a notice explaining how eligible applicants can seek funds to support projects that demonstrate the technical and commercial feasibility of alternative energy technologies. The Program Opportunity Notices are available by writing or calling: Manager, Energy Bond Fund Program,

Illinois Parks and Recreation 10 January/February, 1980

Illinois Institute of Natural Resources, 325 W. Adams Street, Room 300, Springfield, IL 62706; telephone: (217) 785-0011.

For more information on the program, contact Kathy Mullen in the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs' Chicago Office at (312) 793-4856.

$300 MILLION FOR LAND & WATER CONSERVATION FUND GRANTS

House and Senate Conferees have tentatively agreed to appropriate $300 million for the State Grants portion of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Funding for federal park, forest and wildlife refuge projects is expected to be about $200 million, or 40% of the total appropriation.

At the $300 million level, individual state apportionments are expected to be about 80% of amounts received in fiscal year 1979. Nine million dollars will be earmarked for the Secretary of the Interior's Contingency Reserve Fund.

The tentative distribution amount for Illinois would be $11.96 million.

The Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program, authorized in 1978, will receive $125 million for FY 1980, while the Historic Preservation Fund, another program frequently supporting recreation benefits, was set at $55 million.

1980 REPLACEMENT TAX NOTES:
FIRST CERTIFICATION

In the first year of the replacement tax, the Department of Revenue will certify an estimate of the first year replacement tax entitlement to any unit of government upon request. This certification will be evidence of the entitlement, but only for purposes of the issuance and validity of notes. These certified estimates are currently available.

A duly appointed official of a taxing district may request an estimate of expected 1980 (calendar year) revenue to be received from the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund by completing an official request form available in the Division Office in Springfield or by addressing a letter to the Replacement Tax Certification Division, Department of Revenue. The letter shall furnish the name, address, and county of the taxing district under consideration as well as the signature of the requesting official.

The Replacement Tax Certification Division will determine and furnish a requested estimate by mail within a reasonable period of time.

Any estimates given by phone should be considered tentative until the receipt of mail of the estimate on the prescribed standardized form. A letter of request should be on file prior to mailing the estimate.

CORPORATE REPLACEMENT TAX UPHELD

The Illinois Supreme Court on November 21, 1979, in a 6-1 opinion, upheld the newly passed Corporate Personal Property Tax Replacement Law (H.B. 2569).

The Court ruled that the delegates to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention recognized "economic uncertainties and inflationary trends and chose to give the General Assembly leeway to arrive at a reasonable replacement solution."

The tax was made effective retro-active to July 1, 1979. The first distribution to units of local governments of revenue collected by the new tax is scheduled for January 1, 1980.

HELP FOR LOCAL OFFICIALS

Local elected officials now have a formal liaison officer in the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director's Office. His name is James Dalluge. His contact number is (217) 782-3397.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 11 January/February, 1980