Updates on cases, laws, and other topics of interest to local governments

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Blog comments do not reflect the views or opinions of the Author or Ancel Glink. Some of the content may be considered attorney advertising material under the applicable rules of certain states. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Please read our full disclaimer

Updates on cases, laws, and other topics of interest to local governments

Monday, March 31, 2025

Court Dismisses Electoral Board Appeal for Improper Service


In November 2024, a candidate for the position of School Board Member (Candidate) filed a statement of candidacy which affirmed that her residence was within the School District. A resident of the School District (Objector) objected to the Candidate’s nominating papers, alleging that her address was incorrect and that she resided outside of the District, making her ineligible for a School Board Member...

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

City's Designation of Historic District Upheld by Appellate Court


In 2007, the Chicago City Council adopted an ordinance designating an area of the City as the Arlington-Deming Historic District. That ordinance was challenged in court on various grounds, including that it violated a property owner's due process and equal protection rights and that it was arbitrary and capricious and did not meet the "rational basis" test for legislative decision. Litigation continued...

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Supreme Court Upholds Dismissal of Tax Misallocation Dispute


Last year we reported on an Illinois Appellate Court decision in a tax allocation dispute between two municipalities where sales tax revenues generated from a restaurant located in the Village of Arlington Heights (Village) were mistakenly paid to the City of Rolling Meadows (City) for almost a decade. In January of last year, the Appellate Court held that the trial court erred in dismissing...

Monday, March 17, 2025

Illinois Appellate Court Upholds Push Tax Ordinance


In Illinois Gaming Machine Operators v. The City of Waukegan, the Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association (IGMOA) and a group of plaintiffs sued the City to challenge an ordinance that imposed a one cent tax per push (push tax) on players of video game terminals. The City’s push tax ordinance required every terminal operator (a company that leases video gaming machines to bars or restaurants)...

Friday, March 14, 2025

Appellate Court Holds City did not Owe a Duty of Care to an Injured Motorcyclist


In Calhoun v. City of Evanston, a motorcyclist sued the City after crashing his motorcycle on the base of a crosswalk sign. The sign had become detached from the base, leaving only a small, elevated platform. The motorcyclist struck this platform and suffered a broken leg and injured wrist. The motorcyclist filed a negligence complaint against the City claiming the City did not properly remove or...

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Court Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Clerk's Refusal to Certify Candidate's Nomination Papers


In November 2024, an independent candidate for Mayor (Candidate) filed his nomination papers for the Consolidated Election with the Village Clerk. After a lottery was held to determine the Candidate’s ballot position, the Clerk notified the Candidate that his name would not be certified to the ballot, because the Candidate’s papers were not in “apparent conformity” with the requirements of the Election...

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Quorum Forum Podcast Ep 91: New Developments in Planning Caselaw


Ancel Glink's Quorum Forum Podcast just released Episode 91: New Developments in Planning Caselaw. Recently, Ancel Glink attorneys Megan Mack, Erin Monforti, and Katie Nagy participated in the Planning Webcast Series hosted by the Ohio chapter of the American Planning Association and presented by the Illinois chapter. The session covers key cases impacting local governments...

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Court Finds that Firefighter/Paramedic Entitled to PSEBA Benefits


In a recent case involving an interpretation of the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act (PSEBA), the Appellate Court held that a municipality should have granted PSEBA benefits to a firefighter/paramedic. Ford v. Village of Northbrook.A firefighter/paramedic was injured while transferring a patient to the hospital after responding to a call for service. He applied for, and was granted, a line-of-duty...

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Candidate's Appeal Dismissed For Failure to Serve Petition on Individual Electoral Board Members


In a recent judicial appeal to an Electoral Board decision that struck a candidate from the ballot, the Illinois Appellate Court dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction because the candidate failed to serve a copy of the judicial petition on the individual members of the Electoral Board. Williams v. Municipal Officers Electoral Board.The Appellate Court noted that the service requirement of...

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Candidate For Mayor Removed From Ballot


In a recent election challenge, an Illinois Appellate Court held that a city clerk did not have a conflict of interest to participate as a member of the Electoral Board and struck a candidate's name from the ballot for failing to fasten her nomination papers for candidacy. Benda v. Parkinson, et al.A candidate for office of mayor filed nomination papers and other candidacy documents. An objector filed...

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Cook County Tax Exempt Affidavit Information


For all of our Cook County government bodies who read Municipal Minute, we wanted to remind you of the requirement to file a tax exemption affidavit with the Assessor’s Office on or before January 31 of each year for property owned by the government body for the 2024 assessment year. In the past, the Cook County Assessor's Office sent out a notice to each Cook County taxing body with each taxing...

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Appellate Court Rules New Party Candidates for Village Office Should Be on the Ballot


An Illinois Appellate Court recently overturned an Electoral Board’s decision disqualifying a new party’s slate of candidates for including political images in the candidate’s nomination petitions, and ordered that the candidates' names be placed on the ballot in Maloney v. Janecyk.  A political party (Party) filed new party nomination petitions last fall nominating a slate of candidates for...