2022 Articles

Brief Recap and Update Regarding the Illinois Local Fire and Police Pension Consolidation Law By Joe McMenamin December 2022 An update on Public Act 101-0610, which consolidated the assets of hundreds of suburban and downstate public safety pension funds into two consolidated investment funds.

Case Summaries: October 2021 – January 2022 By Phil Lenzini, Matt Dione, Brian Flynn, Chris Jump, Lisle Stalter, Todd Flemming, & Josh Herman February 2022 Summaries of recent cases of interest.

Chair’s Note By Joe McMenamin July 2022 A note from the chair.

City of Austin, Texas v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, LLC, et al.: Does the Supreme Court Provide Clarification or Confusion for Local Governments? By Lisle A. Stalter May 2022 In April, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in the City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, but the decision provides little specific direction for local governments on the extent to which off-premises sign regulation will be upheld.

Do Annexation Agreements Apply to Broken Subdivisions? Guidance from the Second District Appellate Court By Michael Smoron July 2022 In Village of Kirkland v. Kirkland Properties Holdings Company, LLC I, the appellate court set forth its analytical framework to determine whether there exists a cause of action premised on an annexation agreement applying to a “broken subdivision.”

End of 2022 Spring Legislative Session By Brad Cole April 2022 A summary of the 2022 spring legislative session.

Flinn Report Abstract (November 28, 2022) December 2022 A summary of amendments to the Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant Program.

Illinois Notary Law Changes By Kevin J. Stine August 2022 Summaries of the recent substantive changes to existing notary laws.

Illinois Supreme Court Invalidates Cook County Taxes on Firearms and Ammunition By Michael J. Smoron February 2022 In Guns Save Life, Inc. v. Ali, the Illinois Supreme Court determined that Cook County’s ordinances imposing taxes on the retail purchase of firearms and ammunition, respectively, violated the uniformity clause of the Illinois Constitution.

ISBA Local Government Law Section Council Case Summaries for the June 10, 2022, Meeting By James Ferolo, Phil Lenzini, Matt Dione, Brian Flynn, Chris Jump, Lisle Stalter, Todd Flemming, & Josh Herman July 2022 Summaries of cases of interest to local government law practitioners.

Justice Rita Garman, the Longest Tenured Sitting Judge, Is Retiring: A Look at Her Career and Legacy By Hon. Alfred Swanson, (ret.) August 2022 After 40 years, six months as a judge, Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman is retiring effective July 7, 2022.

Keys to Increasing Your Prospects for Success in Mediation: Insights From Chief Circuit Mediator for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit By Edward Casmere August 2022 Highlights from conversations with Joel Shapiro, a mediator at the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit for the last 28 years.

Public Act 102-0694: Second ‘Safe-T Act’ Trailer Bill By Jason Blumenthal February 2022 In January 2021, Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 3653, now known as Public Act 101-0652 or the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, changing the landscape of criminal justice throughout Illinois.

Recent AG/PAC Opinions, Legislation, and Judicial Decisions Regarding FOIA and OMA By Michael T. Jurusik February 2022 Summaries of recent Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Act opinions, legislation, and judicial decisions.

Recent AG/PAC Opinions, Legislation, and Judicial Decisions Regarding the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act By Michael Jurusik July 2022 Summaries of recent Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act opinions, legislation, and judicial decisions.

Recent IAG/PAC Opinions, Legislation, and Judicial Decisions Regarding FOIA and OMA By Michael T. Jurusik December 2022 Summaries of recent opinions, legislation, and judicial decisions regarding the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act.

Short-Term Housing Rental Found to Violate R-1 Zoning Code By John M. O’Driscoll & Courtney Willits April 2022 As vacation rental companies such as VRBO and AirBnb expand their property bases, it is important for municipal attorneys to understand what regulations are contained in zoning codes and how the courts have interpreted them.

Tax Increment Financing Concepts for the Future By Herbert J. Klein March 2022 An overview of the numerous ways in which the Illinois Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act authorizes cities, towns, and villages in Illinois to work with other taxing bodies and developers to use tax increment financing to stimulate local economic activity for the benefit of the entire community.