(a) The Downstate Forest Preserve District board of commissioners shall develop an apportionment plan and specify the number of districts. Each district shall have one commissioner. Each such district:
         (1) shall be substantially equal in population to
    
each other district; and
        (2) shall be comprised of contiguous territory, as
    
nearly compact as practicable; and
        (3) shall be created in such a manner so that no
    
precinct shall be divided between 2 or more districts, insofar as is practicable.
    (b) The president of the board of commissioners of a Downstate Forest Preserve District may develop a reappointment plan and that plan, as presented or as amended, shall be presented to the board by the third Wednesday in May in the year after a federal decennial census year for approval in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section. If the president presents a plan to the board by the third Wednesday in May, the board shall conduct at least one public hearing to receive comments and to discuss the apportionment plan. That hearing shall be held at least 6 days but not more than 21 days before the board may consider adopting the plan, and the public shall be given notice by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the district of the hearing at least 6 days in advance of the hearing. The president of the board of commissioners shall have access to the federal decennial census available to the board.

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.


     (c) For the reapportionment in calendar year 2021, the president of the board of commissioners may develop and present (or redevelop and represent) to the board by the third Wednesday in November of 2021 an apportionment plan. If a plan is presented, the board shall conduct at least one hearing on the proposed plan before it may be adopted. That hearing shall be held at least 6 days but not more than 21 days before the board may consider adopting the plan, and the public shall be given notice by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the district of the hearing at least 6 days in advance of the hearing.
     (d) After each decennial census, the Downstate Forest Preserve District board is not obligated to reapportion the districts if existing districts are within a 10% population deviation from each other based on the results of the decennial census.
     (e) As used in this Section, “Downstate Forest Preserve District” means a district described in Section 3c.