Illinois Statutes Chapter 70. Special Districts § 910/5. Petition; notice of hearing; filing fees and costs of printing and publishing notice

§ 5. Wherever the creation of a Hospital District is desired, 2,500 or more of the voters residing within the area or 10% of the legal voters residing within the area, whichever is higher, may file with the circuit clerk of the county in which the territory or the greater part thereof is situated, a petition requesting the creation thereof, addressed to the circuit court of the county. In case such area includes 2 or more civil townships (or congressional townships in counties under commission form of government) or parts thereof, such petition shall be signed by 10% of the legal voters residing in each such township or part thereof. In case the proposed District, which shall be contiguous, is situated in 2 or more counties, the petition shall be filed in the office of the circuit clerk of the county in which the greater part of the area is situated, and the circuit court of the county shall set the petition for hearing. The petition shall set forth (1) a description of the territory to be embraced in the proposed District, (2) the names of the municipalities located within the area, (3) the name of the proposed District, (4) the population of the district which shall not be less than 25,000 inhabitants unless the district includes at least one entire county or at least 6 contiguous townships within a county or adjoining counties, in which event the population of the district shall not be less than 10,000 inhabitants, and (5) a request that the question be submitted to the electors residing within the limits of the proposed Hospital District whether they will establish a Hospital District under this Act to be known as ․․․․ Hospital District for the purpose of constructing and maintaining a public hospital. The petitioners in and by the petition shall designate one or more persons to represent them on the petition, and in the proceedings thereon in the circuit court, with authority to amend, to move to dismiss, or to withdraw the petition. The circuit court shall set the petition for hearing within not less than 30 nor more than 40 days after the filing of the petition with the circuit clerk.

Notice shall be given by the circuit court of the time and place where the hearing will be held, by publication on 3 separate days in one or more newspapers having a general circulation within the territory proposed to be incorporated as a Hospital District, the first of which publications shall be not less than 20 days prior to the date set for the hearing and if there is no such newspaper, then such notice shall be posted in 10 of the most public places in such territory, not less than 20 days prior to the date set for the hearing. This notice shall include a description of the territory as set out in the petition, names of municipalities located therein and the name of the proposed District and the question of creating such area into a Hospital District.

The filing fee on the petition and costs of printing and publication or posting of notices of public hearing thereon shall be paid in advance by the petitioners, and, if a district be organized under this Act, they shall be reimbursed out of the funds received by the District from taxation or other sources.