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LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU.

GOVERNOR FRANK O. LOWDEN, Chairman.

SENATOR EDWARD C. CURTIS, Grant Park.

SENATOR RICHARD J. BARR, Joliet.

REPRESENTATIVE EDWARD J. SMEJKAL, Chicago. REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAM P. HOLADAY, Danville.

E. J. VERLIE, Secretary.

W. F. DODD, in charge collection of data for

constitutional convention.

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APPENDIX NO. 2. LIST OF ILLINOIS COUNTIES, WITH AREAS, POPULATION IN 1910, AND TYPES OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT

APPENDIX NO. 3.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS....

..1062

.1064

...1064

1. Illinois constitution, Article X, Counties..

2. Maryland constitution, Article XIA, Local legislation. 1066 3. Michigan constitution, Article VIII, Local government, 1070 4. Minnesota constitution, Article XI, Counties and townships

...1073 5. Ohio constitution, Article X, County and township or

ganization

6. Proposed Ohio county home rule amendinent..

...1074

..1075

I. SUMMARY.

This bulletin presents a general survey of local government in the state of Illinois, and a brief comparison of conditions in other states, with special reference to suggestions for changes in the provisions of the state constitution relating to this subject.

Some parts of the general subject have been considered in more or less detail in other bulletins of this series. Bulletin No. 6 deals with the problem of municipal home rule for cities and villages. Bulletin No. 11 deals with the problems of Chicago and Cook County, and sets forth in detail the complexity of local areas in Cook County outside of Chicago, which is much of the same character as that in other parts of the state. Bulletin No. 4, on state and local finance includes a discussion of local taxation and local debt; and Bulletin No. 10 on the judicial department includes a discussion of county, municipal and other local courts.

These special topics, covered more thoroughly in other bulletins, are therefore only referred to briefly in this pamphlet; and the main attention in this bulletin is given to county and township government and the numerous series of overlapping special local districts.

The constitutions of Illinois have dealt with the subject of county government in increasing detail. A considerable number of county officers are provided for each county, and there are detailed provisions. as to the compensation of these officers. There are also provisions for three types of county organization: (1) a board of county commissioners, the main features of which are prescribed in the constitution; (2) an optional township system, the details of which are regulated by the general assembly; and (3) a special organization definitely provided by the constitution for Cook County.

With the detailed constitutional provisions, both as to county areas and county government, there is little discretion left, either to the general assembly or to the local communities; and this situation has prevented the adaptation of county government to the needs of different types of counties in the state. Counties in Illinois vary from small agricultural counties of less than 10,000 population to Cook County, with a population 2,500,000; and the present constitutional provisions on county government do not adequately meet the varying needs of the widely different types of counties.

An optional system of township government is provided for in the constitution; but the township system is regulated mainly by statute. Township government, however, is now of little and declining importance.

Besides counties and townships, there are about a thousand cities and villages; and superimposed on these older local government units

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