Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! In fact, most of you live in several units of local government, such as a county, township, school district, special taxing districts, and a village.

A county is an administrative unit of government responsible for transportation, environmental protection, and taxation for all or part of a major part of a metropolitan area. Many counties have taken on new responsibilities of an urban character, often in response to federal grant programs and regulations and unfunded state mandates.

A township is an administrative unit of government six miles square containing 36 sections, each of one-square mile. Its government has three prime responsibilities:

• To provide general assistance
• To maintain roads
• To assess property values for tax purposes 

Additional responsibilities can include:

• Public transportation 
• Activities for senior citizens 
• Counseling youth programs

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.