Illinois § 12

§ 12.

Dissolution of district. (a) A water service district organized under this Act may be dissolved as provided in this Section. (b) A petition for dissolution of the district signed by two-thirds of the members of the district's board of trustees may be filed in the circuit court of the county in which the district, or the majority of the territory of the district, is located. In the alternative, if the district does not have outstanding and unpaid any bonds issued under this Act, the petition may be signed and filed by 50 electors of the district. The petition for dissolution shall set forth the reasons why the district should be dissolved and why the dissolution will not adversely affect the interest of the public and any bondholders of the district. (c) The circuit court shall set a date for the hearing on the petition for dissolution. The clerk of the circuit court shall give notice of the time and place of the hearing by publication, in one or more daily or weekly newspapers having a general circulation within the district, at least 20 days before the date set for the hearing. At the hearing, all persons desiring to be heard must be given an opportunity to testify for or against the petition for dissolution. During the hearing, the petitioners or the petitioners' authorized representative shall also testify and introduce evidence concerning ways in which dissolution of the district can be accomplished without adversely affecting the interest of the public and any bondholders of the district. (d) If at the close of the hearing the circuit court determines that the district can be dissolved without adversely affecting the public interest or the interest of any district bondholder, the court shall certify the question of the dissolution of the district to the proper election officials, who shall submit the question to a referendum of the electors of the district in the manner provided by the Election Code. The clerk of the circuit court shall give notice of the election, and the election shall be conducted in the manner provided by the Election Code. The question shall be in substantially the following form: Shall (name of water service district) be dissolved? The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No". (e) If a majority of the votes cast on the question are in favor of dissolution, the board of trustees shall immediately take the necessary steps to close up the district's affairs. If the term of office of any member of the board of trustees expires after the referendum, no new trustee shall be appointed. In closing up the affairs of the district, the trustees shall sell all assets and equipment of the district and pay all debts and obligations of the district. If bondholders are involved, the trustees shall pay off the principal of and all accrued interest on all outstanding bonds. Any surplus money left over after all debts and obligations of the district have been paid in full shall be applied toward the cost of connecting the tracts of land receiving water service at the time of the dissolution of the district to the waterworks, sewerage, or combined waterworks and sewerage system or properties of a public water district or municipality. Any surplus money left over after payment of all costs of those connections shall be paid in equal portions to all of the title holders of the tracts of land receiving water service at the time of the dissolution of the district. (f) After the board of trustees of a dissolving water service district have (i) paid all debts and obligations of the district, (ii) closed up all of the business of the district, and (iii) paid out or refunded all surplus money as provided in subsection (e), the trustees shall file a statement under oath with the circuit court showing all closing transactions. If the circuit court approves the statement, it shall issue an order dissolving the district. Upon issuance of the order, the duty of the board of trustees to close up the district business is terminated, and all trustees and officers of the district, whether or not the terms for which they were elected or appointed have expired, shall cease to have any power or authority. (g) If a majority of the votes cast on the question under subsection (d) are against dissolution, the same question may not be presented to the electors of the district for a period of 2 years from the date of the referendum. (Source: P.A. 88-572, eff. 8-11-94.)