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Township Law Townships are the oldest form of local government in Illinois. The Illinois Constitution of 1848 gave voters in each county the opportunity to adopt Township Government. By 1850, the first township governments began operation. Today, 85 of Illinois 102 counties operate under the township form of government and the 1,433 townships serve more than 8 million citizens.
They are the governmental entities which are charged with three basic functions: 1) general assistance for the indigent; 2) the assessment of real property for the basis of local taxation; and 3) maintenance of all roads and bridges outside federal, state, and other local jurisdiction. Beyond the three mandated services, Township Government provides other vital services to their residents This may include senior citizens programs, youth programs, assistance to the disabled, parks and recreational facilities, health services, local transportation, open space, and cemetery maintenance. In this regard Township Government serves its neighbors from the cradle to the grave. Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Bush, DiCianni & Krafthefer has, in the last decade, become a premier firm in the representation of Townships. The acquiring of Township clients was undertaken by Keri-Lyn J. Krafthefer, in the early 1990s. The firm's practice has expanded in Township law because we can offer not only legal ability, but practical expertise for both standard and complex issues. The firm now represents many Townships throughout Chicago and surrounding counties. Our clients have concluded that it is no longer possible to maintain and operate a Township without developing substantial knowledge and familiarity with this special area of the law. We can assist our Township clients in complex and mixed questions of law, economics finance, general assistance, open space, personnel, collective bargaining, and engineering.
Ancel, Glink attorneys are the authors of the Township of Illinois Laws and Duties Handbook, now in its first printing with a new version to be available in 2005. The handbook describes and explains the legal rights and responsibilities of Townships and it interprets and analyzes the Township Code. Although the handbook cannot supply the answer to every question which might arise, it is a good source for initial reference and investigation. The handbook is also available on CD Rom. The contents of the handbook illustrate well the full service nature of our law firm. We serve all of the legal needs of our Township clients. The firm also assisted in the creation of the Illinois Township Supervisors Guide. The firm is committed to improving the understanding of Township law for Illinois Townships. In addition to our representation of Townships in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, we also work on a consultant basis with elected officials and local attorneys throughout Illinois
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