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Division 6 - Municipal Bridges, Ferries And Terminals

      (605 ILCS 5/Art. 10 Div. 6 heading)DIVISION 6. MUNICIPAL BRIDGES, FERRIES AND TERMINALS

(605 ILCS 5/10‑601) (from Ch. 121, par. 10‑601)     Sec. 10‑601. The corporate authorities of any municipality, have the power to acquire by purchase, lease, or gift, ferries, bridges, the approaches thereto, and not exceeding 4 acres of land within the corporate limits, or within 5 miles of the corporate limits thereof for each ferry or bridge. They also have the power to maintain, regulate and fix the tolls on these ferries and bridges. (Source: Laws 1959, p. 196.)

    (605 ILCS 5/10‑602)(from Ch. 121, par. 10‑602)
    Sec. 10‑602. Every municipality has the power:
        (1) To construct, or acquire by purchase, lease,

gift, or condemnation in the manner provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act, ferries and bridges, the necessary land therefor, and the approaches thereto, whenever the ferry, bridge, land, or approaches are within the corporate limits, or within 5 miles of the corporate limits of the municipality, and also to maintain the specified property;

(2) To construct and maintain highways within 5 miles

of the corporate limits of the municipality connecting with either end of such a bridge or ferry;

(3) To construct or acquire by purchase, lease, gift,

or condemnation in the manner provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act, ferries and bridges, the necessary land therefor, and the approaches thereto, within 5 miles of the corporate limits of the municipality, over any river forming a boundary of the State of Illinois, and also to maintain the specified property;

(4) To donate money to aid the road districts in

which is situated any ferry, bridge, or highway connecting therewith, specified in this section, in constructing, or improving the same, and to issue the bonds of the municipality for that purpose.

All such ferries, bridges, and highways shall be free to the public and no toll shall ever be collected by the municipality except that:         (1) Tolls may be collected for transit over and use

of bridges defined in Section 10‑801, as provided for in Sections 10‑802 and 10‑805.

(2) Any municipality which, within the provisions of

this section, bears the principal expense and becomes indebted for any ferry, bridge, or the approach thereto, over any river forming a boundary of the State of Illinois, may collect a reasonable toll, for the use thereof, to be set apart and appropriated to the payment of that indebtedness, the interest thereon, and the expense of maintenance of that bridge, ferry, and approach thereto, but for no other purpose;

(3) Where any municipality is the owner of any toll

bridges or ferries which it is keeping up and maintaining by authority of law, all ownership and rights vested in the municipality shall continue and be held and exercised by it, and the municipality from time to time may fix the rates of toll on those bridges and ferries; and

(4) In all cases where, after July 1, 1881, a bridge

has been constructed, or a ferry has been acquired across a navigable stream, by any municipality in whole or in part, and where the population of the municipality furnishing the principal part of the expense thereof did not exceed 5,000, and where it is necessary to maintain a draw and lights, and where a debt was incurred by the municipality for these purposes, a reasonable toll may be collected by the municipality contracting the indebtedness. This toll shall be set apart and appropriated to the payment of that indebtedness, the interest thereon, and the expense of keeping the bridge in repair and of maintaining, opening, and closing the draws and lights, or, in case of a ferry, keeping the approaches and boat in repair and for operating the ferry.

(Source: P.A. 94‑1055, eff. 1‑1‑07.)

(605 ILCS 5/10‑603) (from Ch. 121, par. 10‑603)     Sec. 10‑603. Every bridge or ferry and also the approaches thereto, owned or controlled by a municipality as provided in Section 10‑602, when outside the corporate limits, are subject to the municipal control and ordinances of the municipality, the same as though the bridge or ferry and the approaches thereto, were situated within the corporate limits of the municipality. In such case the county may assist in the construction of such bridge, as is now provided by law. (Source: Laws 1959, p. 196.)

(605 ILCS 5/10‑604) (from Ch. 121, par. 10‑604)     Sec. 10‑604. Every municipality with a population of less than 500,000 which is located on a navigable stream has the power to acquire, construct, maintain, and operate either within or without its corporate limits, bridges and approaches, and transportation and other terminal facilities. (Source: Laws 1959, p. 196.)

(605 ILCS 5/10‑605) (from Ch. 121, par. 10‑605)     Sec. 10‑605. For the purposes specified in Section 10‑604, such a municipality may levy and collect a special tax annually of not more than .25 per cent of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, of taxable property situated in the municipality. This tax shall be in addition to all other taxes that the municipality may be authorized by law to levy and shall be in addition to the amount authorized to be levied for general purposes as provided in Section 8‑3‑1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, as now or hereafter amended. However, this tax shall not be levied in the municipality until the question of levying the tax has been submitted, in accordance with the general election laws of this State, to the electors of the municipality at an election and has been approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon. The corporate authorities of the municipality may initiate the submission of such proposition to referendum by ordinance.     The proposition shall be in substantially the following form: ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑     Shall (insert the name of municipality) be empowered to levy and collect a special tax annually of .... per cent on each              YES dollar of the valuation of the taxable property for the purpose of acquiring,          ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑ constructing, maintaining or operating bridges or approaches and transportation           NO and other terminal facilities, as provided in Section 10‑605 of the Illinois Highway Code? ‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑     If a majority of the electors of the municipality voting thereon vote for the levy and collection of the tax provided for in this Section, the municipality has the power to levy and collect the tax.     The foregoing limitation upon tax rate may be increased or decreased according to the referendum provisions of the General Revenue Law of Illinois. (Source: P.A. 81‑1509.)

(605 ILCS 5/10‑606) (from Ch. 121, par. 10‑606)     Sec. 10‑606. Any municipality specified in Section 10‑604 may issue bonds for the purposes specified in Section 10‑604. The amount of these bonds, including the existing indebtedness of the municipality, shall not exceed, in the aggregate, 5% of the value of the taxable property therein. This value shall be ascertained by the last assessment for State and county taxes previous to the issue of these bonds. The bonds authorized by this section to be issued shall not be subject to the limit of indebtedness provided for in Division 5 of Article 8 of the Illinois Municipal Code, as heretofore or hereafter amended. (Source: Laws 1961, p. 1415.)