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Legal/Legislative Scene Review of lawmakers' action on local government bills
By Peter M. Murphy Many times a legislative session is more notable for what did not pass rather than for what did. The 1986 session of the 84th General Assembly was no exception.
Bid limits In response to the interest of the membership in seeking an increase in the allowable bid limits for park districts, House Bill 3549 was amended to raise the bid limit ceiling from $4,000 to $10,000. The bill, as originally drafted, also provided this increase for forest preserve districts. While the concept and rationale for increasing bid limits for park and forest preserve districts were acceptable to the members of the General Assembly, who recognized the merits of a higher threshold, the bill did not pass due to subsequent unrelated amendments which were added in Conference Committee. Forest preserve bills Other measures affecting forest preserve districts with a population of less than three million were successful and include: • House Bill 3552 providing that districts which have a sanitary landfill or regional pollution control facility may create a fund to pay for costs and expenses associated with such facility. • House Bill 3553 providing that an appropriation or levy made for the purpose of restoring or reconditioning improvements need not be spent in the fiscal year in which made. • House Bill 3554 providing for districts whose boundaries encompass two or more municipalities may elect, by passage of an ordinance, to be governed by the County Building Code. • House Bill 3555 providing that forest preserve districts not be subjected to special assessments of other units of local government, or annexation without consent of the district. All units of local government One of the most helpful pieces of legislation which passed this year was an amendment to the Local Governmental Tax Collection Act. It deleted the requirement that a local government choose between either retaining interest accrued on tax collected for that entity (and if so rebating) or notifying the county treasurer that such earnings be paid to the county for the purpose of maintaining the county jail. Other legislation affecting local governments which did not pass included proposals to eliminate the $100 per day penalty for failure to file a Statement of Economic Interest, provisions for the automatic resignation of an elected member of a governing board who fails to attend 50 percent or more of the regularly scheduled meetings of that entity during the calendar year, and authorization to permit any organization transporting handicapped persons to receive handicapped registration plates or parking decals upon application to the Secretary of State.
Regressive labor relations legislation in the form of House Bill 2939, which did not pass, would have made it an unfair labor practice for a public employer to expend public funds in any attempt to influence the outcome of representational elections. House Bill 3299, as previously reported in this column, failed to even get out of the Rules Committee. It would have provided that any unoccupied territory with no assessed valuation which is within a municipality and owned by a park district which is nearly coterminous with an adjoining municipality may be excluded from the former municipality and annexed to the latter municipality by ordinance of the latter municipality. Legislation to clarify the intent of the legislature to permit the distribution of Motor Fuel Tax receipts to local park, forest preserve and conservation districts was sidelined due to the strict rules governing bill introductions during this legislative session. Such clarification will be a priority item during 1987. Platform ideas The Joint Legislative Committee is currently soliciting and reviewing proposals for the legislative platform to Illinois Parks and Recreation 32 September/October 1986 be presented next year. Your involvement in this process is critical to our success. Please send your suggestions to my attention at the IAPD office. New laws Copies of bills signed by the Governor are available upon request by contacting Peter M. Murphy, Legal/Legislative Counsel, Illinois Association of Park Districts, 217 E. Monroe, Suite 101, Springfield, IL 62701. Phone (217) 523-4554. Legislative Golf Outing As the pictures below indicate, the Legislative Golf Outing was a great success, and once again enabled park commissioners to meet with their elected State Representatives and Senators for a day of fun at the Wheaton Park District's beautiful Arrowhead Golf Course.
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