The April 1995 election took on added meaning for residents of Green Rock and Colona in Henry County. Voters in those two communities approved a referendum to merge into one city. The new city of nearly 5,000 residents will be called Colona.

The measure passed in Colona 298-251 and in Green Rock 268-241. To take effect it was necessary for the measure to be approved in both communities.

A previous attempt at merger was unsuccessful. In 1968 Green Rock residents approved unification 389-344 but Colona voters defeated it 229-147.

On April 10, Green Rock officials canvassed votes from the April 4 election and issued a proclamation recognizing the new City of Colona. The municipality is now the Borough of Green Rock in the City of Colona. On April 6, Colona village officials took similar action. Both communities will function as boroughs for the next two years. (Boroughs have little or no power or functions once consolidation has been fully implemented. The names of boroughs may be changed by compliance with other statutes.)

The new City of Colona will have an estimated operating budget of $1.1 million. Bonding power has increased by $15 million.

While all current ordinances will remain in place in the boroughs until repealed by the city council elected in Spring 1997, a committee will spend the next two years determining which ordinances agree and which conflict.

In the meantime, the two mayors, Charles Seaman of Colona and Terry Van Klavern of Green Rock, have selected a joint treasurer, John Bruner, to administer finances until the merger is complete. Additionally, a three-member board of elections must be named. Each 'Steven O. Sargent is former executive director of the Illinois Municipal League. Gary Koch is Communications Coordinator for the League. Sargent wrote his Master's Thesis at the University of Illinois on the subject "Merger and Consolidation of Illinois Municipalities." member will serve with a one-, two- or three-year term.

According to Mayor Seaman, the seeds for the merger were sown two years ago as an ad hoc committee made up of persons from both communities examined the issue. Citizens petitioned for the measure and got it placed on the April ballot. Two public hearings were held on the matter and the Bi-State Planning Commission performed necessary research.

"The major advantages of the merger are saving money and less duplication of services," said Seaman. "We have two city halls within ten blocks of each other."

Mayor Van Klavern sees the merger as an "opportunity to attract light industry to the area. We owe it to our children to increase our employment potential."

Why, you may ask, would the larger of the two communities take the name of the smaller? "Colona is the older of the two communities," said Van Klavern. "Colona was incorporated in 1905 and Green Rock incorporated around 1950." Also, he added, the Post Office, grade school and fire department are all located in Colona.

The only disadvantage both mayors foresee is one of personal pride as Green Rock residents lose some of their identity. It is hoped that the incentives of saving money, reducing duplication of services and creating jobs may offset that loss.

The new city will have an aldermanic form of government with a mayor and eight aldermen elected from four wards.

"The next four years are important for our future," said Seaman. "It is important that we establish a strong base for the new city council to build on."

To do that a six-member transition team will be appointed to establish ordinances, help prepare the first year's budget, and help determine the format of the police and public works departments.

While area news stories referred to the Green Rock/Colona merger as an "historic union" and "the first time

May 1995 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5

in Illinois history," the fact is mergers have occurred before in Illinois, if not recently.

Prior to 1946, 35 consolidations occurred in Illinois. Since 1946 there have been at least 12 attempts at consolidation, 6 of which have been successful.

There are generally two types of consolidation of municipalities in Illinois — annexation and union. Annexation refers to a situation where one municipality is absorbed into another in a manner similar to the annexation of unincorporated territory. As a general rule, this implies the loss of identity by the annexed municipality and a corresponding assumption of authority by the annexing municipality. No new city is created, one is dissolved and its jurisdiction transfers to the other.

Two other annexation options are available. First, the merger may be initiated and the conditions of the annexation controlled by ordinances of the affected municipalities. Secondly, the annexation can be initiated by petition in which case the conditions of the merger are controlled by law. Separate referendum in both communities is required in both instances.

Consolidation by union involves two or more existing municipalities, usually of somewhat equal status, combining to create a new municipality. In Illinois, the conditions of this type of merger are controlled by state statute. Identities of the original municipalities are often preserved through the use of boroughs or common derivative names.

While a number of consolidations of municipalities have occurred over the years, most have been through annexation. With one previous exception, attempts at consolidation through union have been unsuccessful:

Champaign and Urbana (1953), East and West Dundee (1962), Bloomington and Normal (1965), and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline (1968).

Yorkville and Bristol, sister villages in Kendall County, voted in April 1957 to unite as the Village of Yorkville. The most important issue leading to the merger was the need for a better water supply on the part of the smaller Village of Bristol. Proponents of the merger argued that a consolidation of the two villages would result in "economy, efficiency and industrial development."

Two hundred twenty-four residents of both communities signed a petition placing the merger measure on the ballot. The measure carried in Yorkville 215 to 104 and in Bristol 116 to 28, Proclamations declaring the union were issued by the respective village presidents on November 29, 1957.

Page 6 / Illinois Municipal Review / May 1995