A. Short Title: This Section shall be known and may be cited as the "Emergency Interim Executive Succession Ordinance", and this Section is enacted pursuant to the authority of the "Emergency Interim Executive Succession Act" (5 ILCS 275).
B. Statement Of Policy: Because of the threats of attack upon the United States of unprecedented size and destructiveness, and in order to, in the event of such an attack, assure continuity of government through legally constituted leadership, authority and responsibility in the offices of the government of this Village, to provide for the effective operation of this Village government during an emergency, to assure the continuity of this Village government in the event of other natural or manmade disasters, including but not limited to such events as fire, flood, earthquake, epidemic, pandemic, and/or explosion, and to facilitate the early resumption of functions temporarily suspended, it is found and declared to be necessary to provide for additional officers who can exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the incumbents thereof (and their deputies, assistants or other subordinate officers authorized, pursuant to law, to exercise all of the powers and discharge the duties of such offices, hereinafter referred to as deputies) are unavailable to perform the duties and functions of such offices.
C. Enabling Authority For Emergency Interim Successors For Village Offices: With respect to Village offices for which the Board of Trustees of the Village may hereafter enact such additional resolutions or ordinances relative to the manner in which vacancies will be filled or temporary appointments to office made from time to time as it deems appropriate in order to provide for emergency interim successors to offices of the Village, but such resolutions and ordinances shall not be inconsistent with the provision of this Section.
D. Emergency Interim Successors For Village Officers: Such officers, subject to such regulations as the Mayor may issue from time to time, shall designate by title (if feasible) or by named person, emergency interim successors and specify their order of succession. The officer shall review and revise, as necessary from time to time, designations made pursuant to this Section to ensure their current status. The officer will designate a sufficient number of persons so that there will be not less than three (3), nor more than seven (7), deputies or emergency interim successors or any combination thereof, at any time. In the event that any officer of the Village, or his deputy provided for pursuant to law, is unavailable, the powers of the office shall be exercised and duties shall be discharged by the designated emergency interim successors in the order specified. The emergency interim successor shall exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office to which designated until such time as a vacancy which may exist shall be filled in accordance with the constitution or applicable statutes or ordinances, or until the officer, or his deputy or a preceding emergency interim successor, again becomes available to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of his office.
E. Emergency Interim Successors For The Office Of Mayor: Except as otherwise designated in writing by the Mayor, the designated emergency interim successors for the office of Mayor shall be that trustee of the Village then holding such office who has the longest continuous tenure on the Board of Trustees and who is present in the Village and available to serve as such an emergency interim successor.
F. Formalities Of Taking Office: At the time of their designation, emergency interim successors for any Village office shall take such oath as may be required for them to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office to which they may succeed. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person, as a prerequisite to the exercise of the powers or discharge of the duties of an office to which he succeeds, shall be required to comply with any other provision of law relative to taking office.
G. Period In Which Authority May Be Exercised: Officials authorized to act pursuant to this Section as emergency interim successors are empowered to exercise the offices, powers, and discharge the duties of an office as herein authorized only after an attack upon the United States and during a disaster within the Village. The Board of Trustees may at any time terminate the authority of such emergency interim successors to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of office as herein provided.
H. Removal Of Designees: Until such time as the persons designated as emergency interim successors are authorized to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of an office in accordance with this Section, such persons shall serve in their existing designated capacities at the pleasure of the designating authority and may be removed or replaced by said designating authority at any time, with or without cause. (Ord. 2020-03-02, 3-25-2020)