Governor Signs Legislation By Richard Joseph richard.joseph@mhtlaw.com As you may have been aware, the deadline for filing Nominating Petitions for the April 9, 2013 Consolidated Election was December 24, 2012. This was causing great consternation amongst local governmental entities since it would require the public body to stay open until 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve…
Year: 2012
Duty to Post Compensation of Employees
Change to Open Meetings Act Requires Posting of Total Compensation Package By Richard M. Joseph richard.joseph@mhtlaw.com At this time of the year, most municipalities are in the process of establishing budgets and appropriations for the 2012/2013 fiscal year and establishing salaries for municipal employees. Due to a change in the Illinois Open Meetings Act (the…
Zoning Ordinances Cannot Impose a Substantial Burden on Religious Exercise
Churches Must Be on Equal Terms with Nonreligious Institutions By Katherine Swise katherine.swise@mhtlaw.com Regulating land use through zoning ordinances is one of the most fundamental functions of municipal government. However, recent federal court cases have highlighted the potential restrictions municipalities face when regulating land use as it applies to churches and other religious institutions. The…
What happens when a Board/Council member stops attending meetings or orally resigns?
By Joshua D. Herman joshua.herman@mhtlaw.com There will come a time for every body of local government that leads someone to ask: “What about Bob?” Maybe Bob is an elected alderman or trustee who has not come to a meeting in three months. Maybe he is the elected official who orally announced his resignation at that…
New Rules for Ordinance Violations
New Supreme Court Rules require review and updating of ordinances By Joshua D. Herman joshua.herman@mhtlaw.com On December 7, 2011, new Illinois Supreme Court Rules (“Rules”) governing ordinance violations went into effect. These new Rules address many issues a municipality faces when dealing with ordinance violations. The Rules clarify how a municipality may initiate ordinance prosecutions…