SPRINGFIELD – To clarify local governments’ authority to determine their own boundaries, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) sponsored legislation to protect and strengthen municipalities’ rights to annex surrounding properties.

“There are statutory requirements in place to ensure local governments can annex property legally and with the best interests of the community in mind,” Murphy said. “Recent court rulings have complicated these requirements—this legislation sets them straight.”

In 2018, an appellate court in Will County rendered an annexation invalid, even though the annexation appeared to meet all statutory requirements. The ambiguity of this decision has caused problems for municipalities in other areas of the state, including Elk Grove Village in the district Murphy represents, where some property owners have attempted to legally challenge previous annexations meeting all statutory requirements in order to block future annexations.

To resolve this confusion and more clearly define the factors that determine an annexation’s validity, Murphy’s legislation would create clear statutory requirements for municipalities seeking annexation.

“Complicated rules and requirements make the process more difficult for local governments who want to follow the law,” Murphy said. “Municipalities must be able to rely on clear guidelines when making annexation decisions.”

Senate Bill 658, an initiative of the Village of Elk Grove, passed the Senate Thursday and now heads to the House.