Bill Text: IL HB2914 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Engrossed
Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that a municipality may not incur legal expenses in excess of $1,000,000 unless the electors of the municipality approve a greater amount of legal expenses after a referendum after adoption of an ordinance requesting the referendum. Limits home rule powers. Exempts full-time and part-time employees.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-29 - House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB2914 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HB2914-Engrossed.html
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| 1 | AN ACT concerning local government.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by adding | ||||||
| 5 | Section 8-1-19 as follows:
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| 6 | (65 ILCS 5/8-1-19 new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 8-1-19. Legal expenses cap. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a | ||||||
| 9 | municipality may not incur legal expenses in excess of | ||||||
| 10 | $1,000,000 unless the electors of the municipality approve a | ||||||
| 11 | greater amount of legal expenses after a referendum under | ||||||
| 12 | subsection (b). | ||||||
| 13 | (b) Upon the adoption of an ordinance by the city council | ||||||
| 14 | of the municipality requesting a referendum to incur additional | ||||||
| 15 | legal expenses, a referendum, subject to the requirements of | ||||||
| 16 | 16-7 of the Election Code, shall be placed on the ballot for | ||||||
| 17 | all electors residing in the municipality at the next general | ||||||
| 18 | election in substantially the following form:
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| 19 | May the (name of municipality) expend more than the | ||||||
| 20 | $1,000,000 statutory cap on legal expenses for the | ||||||
| 21 | (current/next) fiscal year?
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| 1 | The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
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| 2 | (c) A home rule municipally may not regulate the incurring | ||||||
| 3 | of legal expenses in a manner inconsistent with this Section. | ||||||
| 4 | This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 | ||||||
| 5 | of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent | ||||||
| 6 | exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised | ||||||
| 7 | by the State. | ||||||
| 8 | (d) This Section does not apply to salaries and benefits | ||||||
| 9 | paid to attorneys and paralegals who are full-time or part-time | ||||||
| 10 | employees a municipality.
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