State Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) hopes homeowners will see property tax relief from his legislation that was signed into law on Friday, August 9. Senate Bill 90 provides a reasonable way for drainage districts to be absorbed by municipalities.
“Currently, there is an unnecessary number of drainage districts, especially in suburban areas. More and more of areas that were once agricultural land have been developed into subdivisions and commercial tracts, reducing the need for these districts.” said Sen. McConchie. “Unfortunately, many of these developed residential areas are still paying taxes to a drainage district, even though they are now part of a municipality that may already be taking on the drainage responsibilities.”
Senate Bill 90 outlines the petition process for a drainage district to be dissolved and allows the drainage district to be taken over by a municipality if that municipality accounts for at least 75 percent of a drainage district’s territory. The new law also requires both the municipality and the county in which the drainage district lies to pass an ordinance with specific criteria for carrying out the dissolution.
Current law allows drainage districts to dissolve but there is no process in place for another unit of government to take over legal responsibility for drainage.