Illinois Statutes Chapter 65. Municipalities § 5/8-12-2. Policy and purpose

§ 8-12-2. (a) Pursuant to the authority of the General Assembly to provide for the public health, safety and welfare, the General Assembly hereby finds and declares that it is the public policy and a public purpose of the State to offer assistance to a financially distressed city so that it may provide for the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, pay when due principal and interest on its debt obligations, meet financial obligations to its employees, vendors and suppliers, and provide for proper financial accounting procedures, budgeting and taxing practices, as well as strengthen the human and economic development of the city.

(b) It is the purpose of this Division to provide a secure financial basis for the continued operation of a financially distressed city. The intention of the General Assembly, in enacting this legislation is to establish sound, efficient and generally accepted accounting, budgeting and taxing procedures and practices within a financially distressed city, to provide powers to a financial advisory authority established for a financially distressed city, and to impose restrictions upon a financially distressed city in order to assist that city in assuring its financial integrity while leaving municipal services policies to the city, consistent with the requirements for satisfying the public policy and purposes herein set forth.

(c) It also is the purpose of this Division to authorize a city which has been certified and designated as a financially distressed city under the procedure set forth in Section 8-12-4, and which has by ordinance requested that a financial advisory authority be appointed for the city and that the city receive assistance as provided in this Division, and which has filed certified copies of that ordinance in the manner provided by Section 8-12-4, to enter into such agreements as are necessary to receive assistance as provided in this Division and in applicable provisions of the Illinois Finance Authority Act.  1