Illinois Statutes Chapter 65. Municipalities § 5/7-7-12. Time and Effect of Consolidation

§ 7-7-12. Time and Effect of Consolidation. (a) Consolidation shall occur immediately upon the taking of office of the corporate authorities of the consolidated municipality. The consolidated municipality shall immediately be incorporated and shall thenceforth be deemed a municipality incorporated pursuant to this Code. Upon incorporation, the chief executive officer of the consolidated municipality shall comply with Section 2-1-5 of this Code relating to records of incorporation.

(b) Simultaneously with the incorporation of the consolidated municipality, the consolidating municipalities are dissolved. Except for the notice procedures contained in Section 7-6-5 of this Code, dissolution procedures in this Code shall not apply.

(c) The terms of offices of the elected officials of the consolidating municipalities, if they otherwise would have expired, shall be extended until the elected officials of the consolidated municipality take office. Provided, however, that no consolidation ordinance shall provide for or result in such an extension of office to a date more than one year following the date of the referendum.

(d) The consolidated municipality shall have the territory and inhabitants, and shall succeed to all rights and property of every kind and description, as well as all obligations and liabilities of every kind and description, of the consolidating municipalities. No consolidation shall adversely affect any vested right held by any person in respect of any consolidating municipality. No suit or prosecution of any kind involving a consolidating municipality shall be affected by any consolidation except insofar as it is necessary to substitute parties. However, when a change in the form of government makes applicable a provision in this Code that gives a different remedy in such suit or prosecution, the remedy shall be cumulative to the remedies before provided.

(e) Except as hereinafter provided, the consolidated municipality shall assume and pay all debts and liabilities, and shall perform all contracts of the consolidating municipalities. Upon consolidation, the title to all property which belonged to the consolidating municipalities vests in the consolidated municipality, to be held, however, for the same purposes and uses, and subject to the same conditions as before consolidation.

(f) With respect to the property of the consolidating municipalities, the consolidated municipality may merge, interconnect and manage any municipally owned facility, utility, water, sewerage or sewerage disposal system, provided that such merger, interconnection or management does not adversely affect the rights of any existing bond holders. The county clerk shall continue to extend tax rates existing as of the date of consolidation upon the taxable property of the consolidating municipality alone until the payment of the principal or interest of the bonds of the consolidating municipality is complete. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prevent the consolidated municipality from incurring indebtedness for the consolidated municipality as a whole after its consolidation.