SB1241 amends the Township Code provisions governing cemetery boards of managers for township-owned or township-controlled cemeteries. The bill allows the township supervisor to appoint the three-member cemetery board if the township does not have a township collector, where current law assigns that appointment authority to the township collector. It also makes the same change for approval of the cemetery board treasurer’s bond, substituting the township supervisor when there is no township collector.
The bill otherwise preserves the existing structure of cemetery board governance. The board still may receive gifts or legacies for cemetery maintenance, convert donated property to money, invest the proceeds as directed by the township, and apply the income perpetually to cemetery or lot care. It also retains the rule that gifts to a cemetery by name vest in the board of managers and do not fail merely because the cemetery is unincorporated.
Impact
The bill makes a narrow, technical update to Section 130-10 of the Township Code (60 ILCS 1/130-10) by adding the township supervisor as an alternate official in townships that lack a township collector. This affects the appointment of cemetery board members and the approval of the board treasurer’s bond, ensuring that township cemeteries can continue to be administered even where the collector office does not exist. It does not materially change the powers of cemetery boards or the handling of cemetery trust funds and donations.
Sentiment
The voting record suggests the bill was broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Illinois Senate 54-1 and the House 110-0, indicating strong bipartisan approval. No committee transcript was provided, and there is no evidence of significant opposition in the available record.
Contention
The only apparent point of contention is the administrative substitution of the township supervisor for the township collector in townships that do not have a collector. This is a practical governance fix rather than a policy dispute, and the overwhelming vote totals suggest little disagreement. The bill does not appear to have generated debate over cemetery funding, board authority, or township control.