§ 5-25012 — Board of health

Except in those cases where a board of 10 or 12 members is provided for as authorized in this Section, each county health department shall be managed by a board of health consisting of 8 members appointed by the president or chairman of the county board, with the approval of the county board, for a 3 year term, except that of the first appointees 2 shall serve for one year, 2 for 2 years, 3 for 3 years and the term of the member appointed from the county board, as provided in this Section, shall be one year and shall continue until reappointment or until a successor is appointed. Each board of health which has 8 members, may have one additional member appointed by the president or chairman of the county board, with the approval of the county board. The additional member shall first be appointed within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act for a term ending July 1, 2002. The county health department in a county having a population of 200,000 or more may, if the county board, by resolution, so provides, be managed by a board of health consisting of 12 members appointed by the president or chairman of the county board, with the approval of the county board, for a 3 year term, except that of the first appointees 3 shall serve for one year, 4 for 2 years, 4 for 3 years and the term of the member appointed from the county board, as provided in this Section, shall be one year and shall continue until reappointment or until a successor is appointed. In counties with a population of 200,000 or more which have a board of health of 8 members, the county board may, by resolution, increase the size of the board of health to 12 members, in which case the 4 members added shall be appointed, as of the next anniversary of the present appointments, 2 for terms of 3 years, one for 2 years and one for one year. The county board in counties with a population of more than 100,000 but less than 3,000,000 inhabitants and contiguous to any county with a metropolitan area with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants, may establish compensation for the board of health, as remuneration for their services as members of the board of health. Monthly compensation shall not exceed $200 except in the case of the president of the board of health whose monthly compensation shall not exceed $400. When a county board of health consisting of 8 members assumes the responsibilities of a municipal department of public health, and both the county board and the city council adopt resolutions or ordinances to that effect, the county board may, by resolution or ordinance, increase the membership of the county board of health to 10 members. The additional 2 members shall initially be appointed by the mayor of the municipality, with the approval of the city council, each such member to serve for a term of 2 years; thereafter the successors shall be appointed by the president or chairman of the county board, with the approval of the county board, for terms of 2 years. Each multiple-county health department shall be managed by a board of health consisting of 4 members appointed from each county by the president or chairman of the county board with the approval of the county board for a 3 year term, except that of the first appointees from each county one shall serve for one year, one for 2 years, one for 3 years and the term of the member appointed from the county board of each member county, as hereinafter provided, shall be one year and shall continue until reappointment or until a successor is appointed. The term of office of original appointees shall begin on July 1 following their appointment, and the term of all members shall continue until their successors are appointed. All members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for actual necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. At least 2 members of each county board of health shall be physicians licensed in Illinois to practice medicine in all of its branches and at least one member shall be a dentist licensed in Illinois. In counties with a population under 500,000, one member shall be chosen from the county board or the board of county commissioners as the case may be. In counties with a population over 500,000, two members shall be chosen from the county board or the board of county commissioners as the case may be. At least one member from each county on each multiple-county board of health shall be a physician licensed in Illinois to practice medicine in all of its branches, one member from each county on each multiple-county board of health shall be chosen from the county board or the board of county commissioners, as the case may be, and at least one member of the board of health shall be a dentist licensed in Illinois. Whenever possible, at least one member shall have experience in the field of mental health. All members shall be chosen for their special fitness for membership on the board. Any member may be removed for misconduct or neglect of duty by the chairman or president of the county board, with the approval of the county board, of the county which appointed him. Vacancies shall be filled as in the case of appointment for a full term. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act to the contrary, a county with a population of 240,000 or more inhabitants that does not currently have a county health department may, by resolution of the county board, establish a board of health consisting of the members of such board. Such board of health shall be advised by a committee which shall consist of at least 5 members appointed by the president or chairman of the county board with the approval of the county board for terms of 3 years; except that of the first appointees at least 2 shall serve for 3 years, at least 2 shall serve for 2 years and at least one shall serve for one year. At least one member of the advisory committee shall be a physician licensed in Illinois to practice medicine in all its branches, at least one shall be a dentist licensed in Illinois, and one shall be a nurse licensed in Illinois. All members shall be chosen for their special fitness for membership on the advisory committee. All members of a board established under this Section must be residents of the county, except that a member who is required to be a physician, dentist, or nurse may reside outside the county if no physician, dentist, or nurse, as applicable, who resides in the county is willing and able to serve.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 94-457, eff. 1-1-06; 94-791, eff. 1-1-07.)