CRETE TOWNSHIP HISTORY

Established in 1848

America's oldest form of government marks its 150th anniversary in Illinois this year. Township government was created in Illinois by the Constitution of 1848. Constitutional delegates gave each county the option to choose between the township form of government or a county commission form of government. In 1849, the first townships were formed in Illinois and began operating a year later. Today, 85 of Illinois' 102 counties operate under the township government system and 1,433 townships serve more than 8 million people throughout the state.

The origin of township government in North America dates to the Pilgrims of 1636. Too often we take for granted the democratic freedoms enjoyed here in the United States, but we cannot forget that our forefathers came to the new world in search of political freedom. When they landed on American soil, they created the purest form of democracy known to the United States-the township.

Township government today operates under the same basic principles of democratic rule as it did more than 350 years ago. The first townships established town meetings as the cornerstone of citizen input. Today, township government in Illinois still leans heavily on the annual meeting to give each and every citizen as opportunity to give direct input into the governing process. Townships in Illinois hold their annual meetings on the second Tuesday each April. Illinois township government today continues to provide the same basic services they did 150 years ago. These basic services include:

General Assistance - Townships provide food, shelter and emergency relief to people unable to support themselves or who do not qualify for other forms of assistance.

Property Assessment - The township assessor sets property values for all real property within the township.

Road and Bridge Maintenance - 53% of all roads in Illinois are maintained by township government. Township highway commissioners are responsible for some 71,000 miles of Illinois roads. Township road crews are not only responsible for the maintenance of these roads, but they also keep them free of snow and ice in the winter months.

As we mark the sesquicentennial anniversary of the creation of township government in Illinois, township officials continue to give their neighbors the kind of service available only from the people next door. Townships today provide many services to senior citizens and the youth in the community.

Crete Township assists the Eastern Will County Senior Citizens group with a healthy donation each year which helps with transportation costs. Youth groups have also received vital funding through yearly donations. Each year Crete Township offers Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets besides having an ongoing "Pantry" for the less fortunate in our township.

Illinois townships are as diverse governmentally as they are geographically. However, they all provide a basic set of services. Township government is accessible to you, our neighbor. Your elected township officials are only a phone call away. Our system of government is but one of the intrinsic values handed down to us by our ancestors. Today, township government proves the wisdom of our forefathers and has stood the test of time-a century and a half of it.

TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT IN ILLINOIS

There are two types of townships- civil & congressional

Civil townships are the political subdivisions and government units to which we generally refer as today's townships. They have been established according to geographical boundaries such as creeks, rivers and lakes.

Congressional townships consist of a rectangular, grid-like system for the United States. Since the system was established without boundary considerations, congressional townships often overlap political jurisdictions and even states. The congressional township is used throughout Illinois for property assessments and tax purposes. Townships are approximately six miles square.

Twenty of the 1,433 townships in Illinois have coterminous boundaries with a municipality. Most of these coterminous political subdivisions were organized since 1911 and are governed by the city council, which also serves as the township board of trustees. In the case of the coterminous governing bodies, the general assistance functions are still maintained by the township supervisor.

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