On Thursday, August 13, 2020, the Ela Township Board voted 4-1 to approve a resolution to place a proposition on the November 3, 2020, ballot asking voters if the Road District in the Township of Ela should be abolished and consolidated with the Township of Ela. Presently, these are two separate government entities and taxing bodies serving the same population of residents in the Township of Ela. Voting “YES” for the consolidation of these two government agencies will transition Ela Township government toward a form of government similar to municipalities and counties and reduce the total units of government agency taxing bodies in Illinois.
The Township Road District is responsible for maintaining less than 25 miles of unincorporated roads and providing various public works services through intergovernmental agreements for four municipalities located within the Township’s borders.
If this Road District referendum passes, the Township Road District will no longer continue to levy taxes. Further, the Road District as a governmental entity would be abolished beginning in May 2021, along with the elected position of the Township Highway Commissioner. The duties and responsibilities would then be assumed by the Township of Ela. Township Road District services currently provided via the Ela Township Highway Department will continue to serve both unincorporated Ela Township residents and incorporated municipalities with public works services following consolidation.
As a next step, the Ela Township Board has scheduled two upcoming public information sessions to ensure residents can acquire information on what this referendum will mean and ask their questions to make an informed decision on this referendum before they go to vote. Public information sessions will be held on Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 7:00 PM via Zoom by the Township of Ela with the intention to maximize resident participation due to potential COVID-19 capacity limitations. For more details, you can also visit www.elatownship.org to view the Road District Referendum — Fact Sheet and FAQs.