All municipalities in Illinois are either cities or villages. Most municipalities operate under a standard aldermanic-city form or trustee-village form. There are simple variations possible under these standard forms, such as the number of members of a legislative body, the terms of office, and minority representation. The State statutes also provide three more complicated variations which may be adopted by cities or villages desiring the possible advantages which each has to offer. These variations are:
- The "commission form"
- The "manager form"
- The "strong mayor form"
Each form provides its own rules for the selection and type of officers, their powers and responsibilities, and the general operations of government. Read more about the forms of municipal government.