VOTE411 Voter Guide

The Illinois Constitution mandates that a county board be elected in each county. The county board is both the legislative and executive branch of county government. As a legislative body, the board enacts ordinances and resolutions that can apply either to the county as a region, including the cities within it, or specifically to the unincorporated area of the county. As an executive body, the board administers the activities of county departments and offices, except those headed by the other elected county officials. As the governing body, the county board adopts an annual budget for the county, establishes tax rates, and authorizes bond issues, subject to voter approval. In a quasi-judicial role, the board reviews zoning, planning and land use matters and considers appeals in granting or denying certain permits and licenses. The county board is also empowered to establish and control special districts to provide services in unincorporated areas of the county. In order to effectively supervise operations of the county, the board elects a chair from its membership who serves as the head of the county government. The chair facilitates the operations of the county board and the other departments of the county. Most county boards are organized into committees with members appointed by the chair. https://ilcounty.org/file/408/Inside%20the%20Courthouse%202025A.pdf