Article 5 - Boards Of Appeals


      (35 ILCS 200/Art. 5 heading)
Article 5. Boards of Appeals

    (35 ILCS 200/5‑5)
    Sec. 5‑5. Election of commissioners of board of review; counties of 3,000,000 or more.
    (a) In counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 1994, 2 commissioners of the board of appeals shall be elected to hold office from the first Monday in December following their election and until the first Monday in December 1998. In case of any vacancy, the chief judge of the circuit court or any judge of that circuit designated by the chief judge shall fill the vacancy by appointment. The commissioners shall be electors in the particular county at the time of their election or appointment and shall hold no other lucrative public office or public employment. Each commissioner shall receive compensation fixed by the county board, which shall be paid out of the county treasury and which shall not be changed during the term for which any commissioner is elected or appointed. Effective the first Monday in December 1998, the board of appeals is abolished.
    The board of appeals shall maintain sufficient evidentiary records to support all decisions made by the board of appeals. All records, data, sales/ratio studies, and other information necessary for the board of review elected under subsection (c) to perform its functions and duties shall be transferred by the board of appeals to the board of review on the first Monday in December 1998.
    (b) (Blank).
    (c) In each county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, there is created a board of review. The board of review shall consist of 3 commissioners, one elected from each election district in the county at the general election in 1998 to hold office for a term beginning on the first Monday in December following their election and until their respective successors are elected and qualified.
    No later than June 1, 1996, the General Assembly shall establish the boundaries for the 3 election districts in each county with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants. The election districts shall be compact, contiguous, and have substantially the same population based on the 1990 federal decennial census. One district shall be designated as the first election district, one as the second election district, and one as the third election district. The commissioner from each district shall be elected to a term of 4 years.
    In the year following each federal decennial census, the General Assembly shall reapportion the election districts to reflect the results of the census. The reapportioned districts shall be compact, contiguous, and contain substantially the same population. The commissioner from the first district shall be elected to terms of 4 years, 4 years, and 2 years. The commissioner from the second district shall be elected to terms of 4 years, 2 years, and 4 years. The commissioner from the third district shall be elected to terms of 2 years, 4 years, and 4 years.
    In case of vacancy, the chief judge of the circuit court or any judge of the circuit court designated by the chief judge shall fill the vacancy by appointment of a person from the same political party. If the vacancy is filled with more than 28 months remaining in the term, the appointed commissioner shall serve until the next general election, at which time a commissioner shall be elected to serve for the remainder of the term. If a vacancy is filled with 28 months or less remaining in the term, the appointment shall be for the remainder of the term. No commissioner may be elected or appointed to the board of review unless he or she has resided in the election district he or she seeks to represent for at least 2 years before the date of the election or appointment. In the election following each federal decennial census and board of review redistricting, a candidate for commissioner may be elected from any election district that contains a part of the election district in which he or she resided at the time of the redistricting and re‑elected if a resident of the new district he or she represents for 18 months prior to re‑election. The commissioners shall hold no other lucrative public office or public employment.
    Each commissioner shall receive compensation fixed by the county board, which shall be paid from the county treasury. Compensation for each commissioner shall be equitable and shall not be changed during the term for which that commissioner is elected or appointed. The county shall provide suitable office space for the board of review.
    For the year beginning on the first Monday in December 1998 and ending the first Monday in December 1999, and every fourth year thereafter, the chair of the board shall be the commissioner elected from the first district. For the year beginning the first Monday in December 1999 and ending the first Monday in December 2000, and every fourth year thereafter, the chair of the board shall be the commissioner elected from the second district. For the year beginning the first Monday in December 2000 and ending the first Monday in December 2001, and every fourth year thereafter, the chair shall be the commissioner elected from the third district. For the year beginning the first Monday in December 2001 and ending the first Monday in December 2002, and every fourth year thereafter, the chair of the board shall be determined by lot.
    On and after the first Monday in December, 1998, any reference in this Code to a board of appeals shall mean the board of review created under this subsection, and any reference to a member of a board of review shall mean a commissioner of a board of review. Whenever it may be necessary for purposes of determining its jurisdiction, the board of review shall be deemed to succeed to the powers and duties of the former board of appeals; provided that the board of review shall also have all of the powers and duties granted to it under this Code. All action of the board of review shall be by a majority vote of its commissioners.
(Source: P.A. 93‑574, eff. 8‑21‑03.)

    (35 ILCS 200/5‑10)
    Sec. 5‑10. Oath of office. Each member of the board of review or commissioner of the board of appeals created by this Code shall, before entering upon the duties of his or her office, take and subscribe to the following oath:
State of Illinois County of ....
    I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will as (a member of the board of review) (a commissioner of the board of appeals) faithfully perform all the duties of that office as required by law; that I will fairly and impartially review the assessments of all property to the extent authorized by this Code; that I will correct all assessments which should be corrected; that I will raise or lower (or in the case of commissioners of the board of appeals, will direct the county assessor to change, correct, alter or modify) assessments as justice may require; and that I will do all acts necessary and within my authority to procure a full, fair and impartial assessment of all property.
    Dated ....
(Source: P.A. 88‑455; 89‑126, eff. 7‑11‑95; 89‑671, eff. 8‑14‑96.)

    (35 ILCS 200/5‑15)
    Sec. 5‑15. Board employees. In counties with 3,000,000 or more inhabitants, the board of appeals (until the first Monday in December 1998 and the board of review beginning on the first Monday in December 1998 and thereafter) shall appoint a Chief Clerk, a Secretary, and a deputy in charge of complaints. The Board may also employ deputies and other staff as may be necessary to assist the Board in the proper discharge of its duties. The Chief Clerk, the Secretary and the deputies shall have authority to administer oaths and examine under oath those persons who appear for a hearing. The Board may assign any matter to a deputy for preliminary hearing. With respect to applications for exemption reviewed under Section 16‑130, the Secretary shall prepare and forward to the Department a full and complete statement of all the facts together with documents in each case and shall also forward a statement of the facts to the county assessor. Except as provided in Section 9‑85, in all other instances the board shall certify its action and orders to the county assessor and the county assessor shall carry out the orders under the direction of the board. Employees of the board of appeals (until the first Monday in December 1998 and the board of review beginning on the first Monday in December 1998 and thereafter) shall receive compensation fixed by the county board upon the recommendation of the board, payable from the county treasury.
(Source: P.A. 88‑455; 89‑126, eff. 7‑11‑95; 89‑671, eff. 8‑14‑96.)