Township in Illinois, United States
Palos Township is one of 29 townships in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 54,615,[2] with its most populous municipality being Palos Hills (pop. 17,484). The vast majority of the township's population resides in its eastern half; the half west of La Grange Road consists mainly of facilities in the Cook County Forest Preserves. In 1850 the small town of Trenton, Illinois changed its name to Palos; this recommendation was made by M.S. Powell, the local postmaster, whose ancestor supposedly sailed with Christopher Columbus from Palos de la Frontera. When it incorporated as a village in 1914, Palos officially became Palos Park. The neighboring communities of Palos Hills and Palos Heights incorporated at later points. All three municipalities lie completely or substantially within Palos Township.
Township offices are located at 10802 S. Roberts Road in Palos Hills. Other municipalities with significant portions in the township include Hickory Hills, Worth and Bridgeview. Palos Township's approximate borders are Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43) on the east, 135th Street on the south, Will-Cook Road extended to the DuPage County line on the west, and 87th Street on the north; in the northwest, the township border follows the Des Plaines River from 87th Street to DuPage County's southeast corner. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, designated a National Historic District in 2011, passes through the township just south of the river, and the Cal-Sag Channel roughly bisects the township from east to west.
Township services
According to Illinois law, townships are responsible for the maintenance of township roadways, the governance of the General Assistance program and the assessment of real property. In Cook County, townships are not responsible for assessing real property as the Cook County Assessor performs that function.
Some townships have adopted other duties, including the provision of health services. Palos Township runs a health service providing low- or no-cost physical examinations, sick visits, cholesterol tests and screenings, pregnancy tests, blood pressure screening, immunizations, podiatry services for senior citizens and other services.
Other services provided by Palos Township include free tax preparation for senior citizens, temporary handicapped placards, voter services, speaker's bureau, and much more.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Palos Township covers an area of 35.37 square miles (91.6 km2); of this, 33.91 square miles (87.8 km2) (95.86 percent) is land and 1.46 square miles (3.8 km2) (4.14 percent) is water.
Borders
Palos Township is bordered on the north by Lyons Township, on the east by Worth Township, on the south by Orland Township, and on the west by Lemont Township. The northwest border with Lyons Township follows the Des Plaines River, directly adjacent to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (managed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago) which connects Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River.
Other bordering township include Homer Township (Will County) on the southwest corner; Bremen Township (Cook County) on the southeast corner; Stickney Township (Cook County) on the northeast corner and Downers Grove Township (DuPage County) on the northwest corner.
Cities, towns, villages
- Bridgeview (the quarter southwest of 87th Street and Harlem Avenue)
- Hickory Hills (all but the small portion north of 87th Street)
- Orland Park (the small area north of 135th Street)
- Palos Heights (the half west of Harlem)
- Palos Hills
- Palos Park (all but a small area west of Will-Cook Road)
- Willow Springs (the largely non-residential portion south of 87th Street and east of the Des Plaines River, and east of the DuPage County line)
- Worth (the third west of Harlem)
Adjacent townships
Cemeteries
The township contains three cemeteries: Fairmount-Willow Hills, Oak Hill and Sacred Heart Catholic.
Major highways
Airports and landing strips
- Palos Community Hospital Heliport
Lakes
- Bull Frog Lake
- Hambone Lake
- Horsetail Lake
- Maple Lake
- Papoose Lake
- Tuma Lake
Landmarks
- Orland Grove Forest Preserve
- Palos Sag-Valley Forest Preserve
These Cook County Forest Preserves woods:
- Burr Oak Woods (west quarter)
- Cherry Hill Woods
- Crooked Creek Woods
- Forty Acres Woods
- Groundhog Slough Woods
- Henry De Tonty
- Hickory Hills Woods
- Hidden Pond Woods
- Mcclaughry Springs Woods
- Mcmahon Woods
- Paddock Woods
- Palos Park Woods
- Paw Paw Woods
- Pioneer Woods
- Pulaski Woods
- Saganashkee Slough Woods
- Spears Woods
- Swallow Cliff Woods
- Tampier Slough Woods (east half)
- White Oak Woods
- Willow Springs Woods
- Wolf Road Woods
Governance
Palos Township is governed by a township board of trustees sometimes called the township board or town board. The town board consists of five voting members and includes the elected township supervisor and four elected township trustees.
The town board is responsible for providing a budget and taxes sufficient to run the operations of the township government each year. The supervisor is a voting member of the town board but is also the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of the township.
The township clerk, assessor and highway commissioner are elected officials; however, they do not have a vote on the town board.
Duties and powers of the supervisor
The township supervisor is the chief executive officer of the township and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the township along with the following other duties:
- Chairing all meetings of the township board;
- Serving as township treasurer;
- Serving as supervisor of General Assistance;
- Serving as supervisor of buildings and grounds.
Current township elected officials
- Supervisor Colleen Grant-Schumann (Palos Heights – Republican)
- Clerk Jane Nolan (Palos Hills – Democratic)
- Assessor Robert E. Maloney (Palos Hills – Democratic)
- Highway Commissioner Gene Adams (Palos Park – Republican)
- Trustee Brent Woods (Worth – Republican) – Supervisor Pro-Tem
- Trustee Richard C. Riley (Palos Hills – Republican)
- Trustee Sharon M. Brannigan (Palos Heights – Republican)
- Trustee Pam Jeanes (Palos Park – Republican)
