60 ILCS 1/115-30
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 60 - TOWNSHIPS|60 ILCS 1/ - Township Code.|Article 115 - Township Open Space

Sec. 115-30.     Property within municipality; petition; referendum.(a) If the open space plan recommended for adoption under Section 115-20  contains property that is situated within the corporate boundaries of a  municipality, the corporate authorities of the municipality may, within 30 days  of the recommendation, vote to authorize the board of a township in a county  having a population of more than 250,000 to acquire by condemnation  property that is situated within the municipality's corporate boundaries.  If  the corporate authorities of the municipality fail to act within that 30 day  period, then none of the property included in the open space plan that is  situated within the municipality shall be acquired by the board by  condemnation.  The municipality's failure to act constitutes a denial  of authority to acquire that property by condemnation.(b) If, within 30 days of the decision of the municipality to either  authorize or deny the board the authority to acquire by condemnation that  property included in the open space plan that is situated within the corporate  boundaries of the municipality, a petition is filed with the township clerk,  signed by not less than 15% of the registered voters of the municipality  residing within the township (according to the voting registration records at  the time the petition is filed), requesting that the question of whether the  board shall be granted authority to acquire property within its corporate  boundaries by condemnation be submitted to the voters of the municipality  residing within the township, then the question shall be submitted to those  voters in the form of a proposition. The petition shall state the public  question to be submitted and contain a common description of the territory in  plain and nonlegal language.  The description shall describe the territory by  reference to streets, natural or artificial landmarks, addresses, or any other  method that would enable a voter signing the petition to be informed of the  territory proposed to be acquired.(c) The township clerk shall certify the proposition to  the proper election officials, who shall submit the proposition to the  voters of the municipality who reside within the township.  The referendum  shall appear on the ballot at the same election as the referendum required in  Section 115-20.   Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the referendum  shall be conducted and notice given in accordance with the general election  law. The question submitted to the voters at the election shall be in  substantially the following form:Shall the Township Board of (name of township in a     county having a population of more than 250,000) have the authority to acquire by condemnation open land that is situated within the corporate boundaries of (name of municipality) for open space purposes?    The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".(d) The election authority shall include on the ballot the description of  the territory proposed to be acquired as set forth in the petition.  If the  election authority determines that the description cannot be included within  the space limitations of the ballot, the election authority shall prepare large  printed copies of a notice of the public question that include the description.   The notice shall be prominently displayed in the polling place of each  precinct in which the question is to be submitted.(e) If a majority of the voters voting at the election on the question vote  in favor of the question, then the board may acquire by condemnation open land  that is situated within the corporate boundaries of the municipality and  included in the open space plan recommended for adoption under Section 115-20.(f) If the corporate authorities of a municipality deny the board the  authority to acquire by condemnation property that is situated within the  municipality's boundaries and the referendum does not appear on the ballot  at the election specified in this Section, or if the proposition fails  to receive the vote of a majority of the voters voting on the question, then  the board may not acquire the property by condemnation.    (Source: P.A. 91-641, eff. 8-20-99.)