New Thresholds Ease Bidding Requirements for Townships but not Township Road Districts

Following the close of the Illinois General Assembly’s legislative session earlier this year, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a variety of bills intended to ease purchasing requirements for local governments. The recent enactments included Public Act 102-0728, which amended the Township Code to increase the competitive bidding threshold for township purchases from $20,000 to $30,000, effective May 6, 2022. The amendment allows townships to make purchases under $30,000 without letting the contract to the lowest responsible bidder after publishing an advertisement for bids—including purchases related to construction. Importantly, the recent enactments did not include any amendment of the Illinois Highway Code, requiring township road districts to continue complying with the lower bidding threshold of $20,000 until the Illinois General Assembly takes further action.

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