(A) Will County Board. The governing body of the County of Will shall be known as the “Will County Board”, or the “County Board of Will County, Illinois”, hereinafter referred to as the “Board”, and its members as “County Board member/members” (abbreviated “CBM/CBM's”). The Board is the legislative body of the County of Will, having those powers provided for by the Constitution and laws of the state.
(B) Officers. On the first Monday in December in even numbered years after each regular election at which members are elected, at the biennial reorganization meeting, the Board shall elect from its membership a County Board Speaker, a Legislative Democratic Caucus Chair and Legislative Republican Caucus Chair; these three members shall constitute County Board Leadership. These officers shall serve two-year terms, or until their successors are elected and qualified.
(C) Duties of the County Board Speaker.
(1) The County Board Speaker shall preside over Board meetings in the temporary absence of the elected County Executive. As the presiding officer of the Executive Committee, the County Board Speaker shall be an ex-officio member of all other committees and may, in the event of a temporary committee vacancy, fill such vacancy for the purpose of establishing a quorum, with voting privileges, and in that event, may act as the Committee Chair in the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair. The County Board Speaker shall be the presiding official at all times that the County Board meets as a “Committee of the Whole” and in his or her absence the Democratic Caucus Chair shall preside.
(2) The County Board Speaker shall be the chief administrative official of the County Board. All staff of the Board shall work at the direction of the County Board Speaker. The County Board Speaker shall assign all matters to committees as recommended by the Executive Committee, and have responsibility for the preparation of all agendas of the County Board. The executive and judicial branch of county government and elected officials shall work directly through the County Board Speaker and staff regarding requests for assignment of any matter to a committee of the County Board. Any County Board member may submit a written request to the Executive Committee for assignment of any matter to a committee, and the Executive Committee shall then consider such request. Moreover, it shall be the policy of the County Board that County Board staff shall, upon request, be made available in their respective areas of expertise to elected county officers and department heads to the extent that the availability is not in conflict with the priorities assigned by the County Board.
(D) Duties of the Legislative Democratic and Republican Caucus Chairs.
(1) The Legislative Democratic and Republican Caucus Chairs shall provide floor leadership for all Democratic and Republican party members with respect to all legislative matters pending before the Board, including, but not limited to, informing the membership of reasons for and against the adoption of proposed ordinances and resolutions, assessing support for and opposition to the adoption of proposed ordinances and resolutions, assessing the need for amendments thereto, consulting with the opposite Legislative Democratic and Republican Caucus Chair with respect to the passage of proposed ordinances and resolutions, and generally assisting in the efficient consideration by the Board of all matters before the Board. The Legislative Democratic and Republican Caucus Chairs shall be the Chief spokesmen of their respective parties on the floor, shall be members of the Executive Committee, and shall be ex-officio members of all other committees and may, in the event of a temporary committee vacancy, fill such vacancy for the purpose of establishing a quorum with voting privileges, and may act as the Committee Chair in the absence of the Committee Chair and Vice-Chair.
(2) In the absence of the Legislative Democratic or Republican Caucus Chair, the County Board Members of the Democratic or Republican political party may designate a leader “pro tem” who shall act and serve on committees in the Leader's place with like authority.
(3) The Legislative Democratic and Republican Caucus Chair shall each appoint a Legislative Whip, to be known as the Democratic and Republican Whip who shall assist its Legislative Democratic or Republican Caucus Chair, at the Caucus Chair's direction, in the performance of the Democratic and Republican Caucus Chair's duties. In the absence of the Democratic or Republican Caucus Chair, the Legislative Democratic or Republican Whip shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees for the purpose of establishing a quorum with voting privileges.
(E) Duties of the County Executive. The County Executive shall perform those duties as set forth in ILCS Ch. 55, Act 5, §§ 2-5001 et seq., and as follows:
(1) Submit Budget to Board.
(a) It is the duty of the County Executive to prepare and submit to the County Board for its approval the annual budget required by Division 6-1 of the Counties Code, ILCS Ch. 55, Act 5, § 2-5009(c).
(b) The budget shall be submitted by the County Executive to the County Board at the regular September County Board meeting.
(2) Reports to the Board. It is the duty of the County Executive to make an annual report to the Board on the affairs of the county, on such date and at such time as the Board shall designate, and keep the Board fully advised as to the financial condition of the county and its future financial needs.
(ILCS Ch. 55, Act 5, § 2-5001)
(a) The County Board hereby designates the regular recessed August County Board meeting for the making of the County Executive's annual report to the County Board.
(b) The County Board's Finance Committee shall receive the advice of the County Executive on the financial condition of the county and its future financial needs not less than monthly.
(3) Appointments.
(a) The County Executive shall:
1. Appoint, with the advice and consent of the Board, persons to serve on the various boards and commissions to which appointments are provided by law to be made by the Board; and
(ILCS Ch. 55, Act 5, § 2-5009(d))
2. Appoint, with the advice and consent of the Board, persons to serve on various special districts within the county except where appointment to serve on such districts is otherwise provided by law.
(ILCS Ch. 55, Act 5, § 2-5009(e))
(b) At the beginning of each fiscal year the Executive's office shall provide to the County Board a listing of all “Board” and “Commission” appointment positions to be filled in the coming year.
(c) 1. A list of appointments to be approved at the next month's County Board meeting shall be submitted by the County Executive to the County Board administrative office not later than the Tuesday before the current month's County Board meeting.
2. The Board's staff will insure that a copy of the appointment list for approval next month is on the desk of each County Board Member (CBM) at the current month's County Board meeting. (In this way each CBM will have knowledge of next month's appointments a month in advance.)
(d) The appointment list will contain the following information for each position:
1. Name of position;
2. Position criteria;
3. Name of appointee;
4. Appointee qualifications;
5. County Board and Commissions form;
6. County Board District, if criteria for appointment; and
7. Letters of recommendation, if any.
(e) The County Executive shall post vacant positions (not including positions where incumbent is to be re-appointed) on the county's website.
(4) County Executive hires.
(a) The County Executive shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Board, such subordinate deputies, employees and appointees for the general administration of county affairs as considered necessary, except those deputies, employees and appointees in the office of an elected county officer.
(ILCS Ch. 55, Act 5, § 2-5009(g))
(b) A list of general administration positions, to be filled by appointment under this section, shall be submitted to the County Board administrative office not later than the Tuesday before the first Executive Committee meeting of the month.
(c) An employee advice and consent request form, (attached to Resolution No. 12-378, passed 12-3-2012 as Exhibit A) shall be completed for each general administration appointee and included with the List of General Administration Positions submitted to the County Board administrative office not later than the Tuesday before the first Executive Committee meeting of the month.
(d) The Board's staff will insure that a copy of the “General Administration Position List” for approval at the current month's County Board meeting is provided each County Board member (WCBM) by the Tuesday preceding the second Executive Committee meeting of the month.
(e) The Board's staff will maintain a file in the County Board administrative office of all the “Personnel Advice and Consent” forms submitted in support of candidate approval so that it is available for review by members of the County Board, at their discretion, prior to consideration by the full County Board. The names of all candidates for general administration positions shall remain confidential, to the extent allowed by law, until acted upon by the County Board.
(f) All general administration appointments, beginning with the declaration of a position vacancy to the identification of a position candidate, shall be processed by the Human Resources Department and its staff in accordance with the policy or policies established from time to time by the County Board, approved collective bargaining agreements (as may be applicable), as well as federal and state laws and regulations.
(g) Vacant positions shall be posted on the county's website for at least ten business days prior to the selection of a candidate by the County Executive.
(h) General administration appoint- ments shall be based solely on a candidates overall qualifications and ability to work with others and consistent with approved collective bargaining agreements then in effect (and if applicable). Appointing or supporting a candidate to further a political agenda or purpose (political hiring) is expressly prohibited.
(i) Hires in advance of County Board approval are hereby prohibited except in the following cases:
1. Replacement staff at Sunny Hill Nursing Home.
2. An “emergency hire” with the prior approval of the County Board Speaker, Legislative Democratic and Republican Caucus Chair until such time that the hire is formally approved or disapproved by the County Board.
(1980 Code, § 30.01) (Ord. adopted 12-3-1990; Ord. adopted 12-7-1992; Ord. adopted 12-5-1994; Ord. adopted 12-2-1996; Ord. adopted 12-4-2000; Ord. adopted 12-20-2001; Res. 02-555, passed 12-2-2002; Res. 06-503, passed 12-4-2006; Res. 08-480, passed 12-1-2008; Res. 10-406, passed 12-6-2010; Res. 12-378, passed 12-3-2012)