City of Champaign

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General Information:

The City of Champaign operates under the council-manager form of government. The City Council is elected by the public and serves as the governing body of the City.  The City Council in turn appoints a professional City Manager who implements Council direction and oversees the day-to-day operations of the City.  If comparing City government to a corporation, the City Council is the Board of Directors and the City Manager serves as the Chief Executive Officer.

City Council: From their main website: http://champaignil.gov/council/about-the-council/

The Champaign City Council is comprised of nine, non-partisan elected representatives.  The Mayor and three At-Large Council members are elected by voters from across Champaign.  Five District Council members are elected by voters who live within a defined geographic area of the City.  All serve four-year, staggered terms.   Elections are held every two years, with the Mayor and At-Large Council Members elected during one election cycle, and the District Council members elected in the next.  The City Council also serves as the City of Champaign Township Board of Trustees.

Attend a Meeting: Information on getting to the City Building's City Council Chambers, where the audience participation pamphlets are, which entrance to use, etc.


Council Districts: from the website

Council Districts
The City of Champaign is divided into five City Council Districts, with a District Council representative elected from each.  The geographic boundaries of the Council Districts are defined in Chapter 2 of the City Code.  District Council members must live within the Council District they represent.  The Mayor and three At-Large Council members are elected by voters from across the City.

Mayor: Deborah Frank Feinen

All Other City Council Members: https://champaignil.gov/council/

Interactive Council District Map

Click on the map below to load an interactive Council District map in order to quickly identify the Council District representative for a particular address.

City Manager

The City Manager’s Office is the administrative center of the City of Champaign. In addition to providing professional leadership to the organization, the City Manager’s Office also coordinates the activities of all City Departments and manages the implementation of City Council policies and goals.

City Manager: Dorothy Ann David


Organizational Chart:

Boards and Commissions:

Council Created Boards and Commissions. There are currently 10 different Council
boards and commissions in operations. This includes five boards, three commissions, one
subcommittee, and one task force. These boards and commissions provide a valuable service to
the community by providing recommended actions to the City Council on a variety of topics and
assisting Council by considering City staff research on issues and gathering public input. Listed
alphabetically in the sections below are summaries of each Council created body:

a. Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 8; Board Rules and Regulations
2. Composition: Three members.
3. Term of Service: Three-year term.
4. Duties: Per Ordinance, (a) the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners shall appoint
commissioned officers to the Fire and Police Departments, except the Chiefs of those
Departments and Deputy Chiefs within the Police Department, (b) the Board shall
perform its duties in the manner provided by law, (c) except as otherwise provided by
ordinance, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners shall not give any preference
for promotional appointment to candidates for promotional appointments within the
Fire or Police Department who have served in a military or Naval Service of the
United States, (d) the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners shall give preference
for original appointment only to candidates for original appointment within the Police
Department who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States in times of
hostilities with a foreign country, (e) as provided by law, the Board of Fire and Police
Commissioners shall give preference for original appointment to candidates within
the Fire Department who were engaged in the military service of the United States for
a period of at least one year of active duty and who were honorably discharged
therefrom, or who are now or have been members on inactive or reserve duty in such
military or naval service, and (f) as provided by law, the Board of Fire and Police
Commissioners may give preference for original appointment to the Fire Department
to candidates who have prior fire experience or prior Firefighter II or III certification,
except that such preference may only be given when non-experienced applicants are
also given alternative options for preference.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month at 4:15 p.m. in the
City Council Chambers.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 2014-100 amended this Division to comply
with the Illinois Firefighter Hiring Act and to encourage diversity in the firefighter
applicant pool.
7. Staff Support: Human Resources Department (not prescribed by Ordinance).

b. Champaign Historic Preservation Commission.

1. City Code: Chapter 37, Article IX, Division 2; Commission Rules and Bylaws
2. Composition: Seven regular members and two alternates.
3. Term of Service: Three-year term.
4. Duties: Per ordinance, the Historic Preservation Commission identifies properties,
structures, and areas that are historically significant. This Commission also advises
the Plan Commission and City Council on the designation of Landmarks,
Conservation, and Historic Districts. The Commission also acts to facilitate the
protection of visual characteristics by reviewing, giving advice, and passing upon
changes to the exterior architectural appearance. Specifically, the duties of the
Commission are to (a) To adopt its own procedural rules; (b) to oversee surveys and
maintain an inventory which identifies properties, improvements, and areas that have
historic, architectural, cultural, or community interest; (c) to investigate, hold public
meetings and nominate to the Plan Commission the approval of applications
designating certain properties as having special historic, community, architectural, or
archaeological value as a Landmark, Conservation, or Historic District, (d) to keep a
register of all properties and structures which have been designated under this article,
(e) to determine an appropriate system of markers and make recommendations for the
design and implementation of specific markings for the Landmarks or districts (f) to
review applications for alteration, construction, and demolition affecting the exterior
architectural appearance of property formally under consideration for designation or
in designated Landmarks, Conservation or Historic Districts, and to issue, deny, or
modify Certificates of Appropriateness, for such actions, (g) to consider applications
for Certificates of Economic Hardship that would allow the performance of work for
a Certificate of Appropriateness which would have been denied, (h) to advise and
assist owners of landmarks, property or structures within designated districts on
physical and financial aspects of preservation, renovation, rehabilitation, and reuse,
and or procedures for inclusion on the State and or the National Register of Historic
Places, (i) to recommend to the City Council the nomination of Landmarks and
Historic districts to State and National Registers (j) to inform and educate the citizens
of the City of Champaign concerning the historic and architectural heritage of the
City, (k) to review and make a recommendation on proposed Zoning Map
amendments, applications for special uses, or application for zoning variations that
affect Landmarks or designated Conservation or Historic Districts, (l) to advise City
Boards and Commissions, including the Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals,
and Code Enforcement Board of Appeals on matters affecting any designated
Conservation or Historic District, and on matters affecting historically or
architecturally significant property, structures, or areas, (m) to review as appropriate
the City of Champaign's Zoning Ordinance and to recommend to the Plan
Commission and the City Council any amendments appropriate for the protection and
continued use of property or structures within designated districts, (n) to confer
recognition upon the owners of property or structures within designated districts by
means of certificates, plaques, markers, or other means, (o) to advise the City Council
on the use of such gifts, grants, and monies as may be appropriate for the purposes of
this ordinance, or as designated by the grantor for the purposes of preservation, (p) to
advise the Zoning Board of Appeals on whether a structure is historic for the purpose
of granting an off-street parking reduction for the rehabilitation or adaptive use of
historically significant structures, (q) to undertake such other action or activity
relative to preservation in the community as may be authorized by the City Council,
and (r) to carry out such other duties as may be required by the State of Illinois
Certified Local Government Program.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 4:00 p.m. in the
City Council Chambers.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 2018-160 amended this Division to clarify the
requirements and procedures for historic preservation.
7. Staff Support: Planning Director or their designee (per Ordinance).

c. City Council Compensation Task Force.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 3.5
2. Composition: Seven members, of which three must be former City mayors or former
City Council members.
3. Term of Service: From the time of their appointment through the completion of their
report to the City Council no later than September 15 of the year appointed.
4. Duties: Per Ordinance, the Task Force is to (1) study the personal expenses of
members serving on the Champaign City Council; (2) compare the duties and
compensation of the City Council with Councils in other jurisdictions of similar size
within the State of Illinois; and (3) make specific recommendations as to the amount
of compensation the Mayor and each Council member is to receive.
5. Meetings: The Task Force is organized every six years and will be reconstituted next
in 2024. A meeting schedule and location would be decided at that time.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 88-127 amended Chapter 2 Article V and
created the Task Force.
7. Staff Support: City Manager’s Office (per Ordinance).

d. City Human Relations Commission.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 10; Commission Bylaws
2. Composition: Nine members.
3. Term of Service: Three-year term. Youth members serve a one-year term.
4. Duties: Per Ordinance, the Human Relations Commission is to (1) encourage and
actively promote understanding among groups of people, (2) advance the civil
liberties and constitutional rights of all persons, as defined by local, state and federal
laws, (3) eliminate all barriers to equal opportunity in housing, employment,
education, public accommodations, health care and delivery of social services, (4)
plan and carry out programs aimed at eliminating discrimination based on race,
religion, national origin, sex, age or handicap, (5) develop means of anticipation and
relief of community tensions that arise from racial, ethnic, religious and social
differences, (6) assist City agencies to establish and maintain good community
relations and serve all segments of the community in an equitable and professional
manner, (7) stimulate active involvement of the business, religious, and education
sectors of the community to encourage full and equal opportunity for all persons, (8)
receive and investigate complaints involving discrimination based on race, religion,
national origin, sex, age or handicap. The investigation of such complaints may be
delegated to the City Manager. All other complaints with respect to city services shall
be investigated by the Assistant for Community Relations, or the appropriate
departments, (9) review applications for employment with the City, other than for fire
and police personnel, when the applications indicate a background of convictions,
(10) initiate investigations into areas of possible discrimination which come to the
attention of the Commission although there is no individual complaint. These class
based investigations, after the Commission's fact-finding, may be issued as HRC
reports and distributed throughout the community. The Human Relations Commission
may initiate action, including informal mediation and recommendations to the
Council for formal court action, to end any discrimination it may find as a result of
these investigations, (11) periodically review, with the City Manager and Human
Resources Director, the City's affirmative action program, and to report the results of
the review to the Council, (12) annually, for each calendar year beginning with
calendar year 1999, audit the aggregate statistics provided by the Police Department
pursuant to subsection 2-529(b) regarding citizen complaints. The audit shall be in
writing and should note trends relating to human rights in citizen complaints with the
purpose of advising the Chief of Police on policy issues relating to those trends. The
Police Chief will be given an opportunity to address trends that the Commission
notes, and (13) perform such other activities as the City Council from time to time
directs.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in City
Council Chambers.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 2013-223 amended this Division to allow
youth members to serve as members of the Commission.
7. Staff Support: City Manager, Human Resources Director, Police Chief, and City
Attorney (per Ordinance).

e. City Human Relations Commission Citizen Review Subcommittee.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 10.5
2. Composition: Five members.
3. Term of Service: Three-year term.
4. Duties: Per Ordinance, the Citizen Review Subcommittee (1) promotes public
confidence in the professionalism and accountability of the City of Champaign's
Police Department through unbiased review of the investigation of citizen complaints
and thoughtful policy recommendations and on-going public outreach, (2) adds a
citizen perspective to the evaluation of citizen complaints, (3) provides a timely, fair,
and objective review of citizen complaints and the manner which they are
investigated, and (4) provides a systematic means to achieve continuous improvement
in citizen and police interactions.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held bi-monthly on the second Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in
City Council Chambers.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: The Subcommittee was established by adoption of Council
Bill 2017-172. Council Bill 2018-092 amended this Division to reflect the name
change of the Community Relations Office to the Office of Equity, Community and
Human Rights.
7. Staff Support: Representative of the Police Department Command Staff, Police Chief,
Community Relations Manager, and City Attorney (per Ordinance).

f. City of Champaign Board of Library Trustees.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 3; Board Bylaws
2. Composition: Nine members of which one must be a City Councilmember.
3. Term of Service: Three-year term except for the City Councilmember whose term is
coterminous with their term of office.
4. Duties: Per Ordinance, the Board of Library Trustees (a) formulate the Library's
annual budget and present it to the City Council for acceptance or rejection of the
total amount; formulate budget policies and staffing policies, all consistent with the
City Council's financial policies and budget process, (b) encourage and promote the
use of the Library materials, facilities and services, (c) formulate, review and approve
policies relating to the selection and use of Library materials, (d) formulate, review
and approve new programs for the enhancement of Library services in the City, (e)
provide reports to the City Council including but not limited to an audited financial
report in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles on or before
December 30 of each year or cooperate with the City in obtaining such audited
financial report of Library funds as part of the City's annual audited financial report;
and such other reports, including but not limited to a report on the condition of the
Library, as may from time to time be requested by the City Council, and (f) perform
such other duties and functions relating to the Library as the City Council may direct
or as provided by statute which are not inconsistent with this Code.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at
the Main Library located at 200 W. Green Street.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 2018-095 amended this Division to implement
a series of changes to the financial and administrative governance of the Library.
7. Staff Support: Library Director and City Attorney (per Ordinance).

g. Code Review and Appeals Board.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 5; Board Rules and Bylaws
2. Composition: Nine members and two nonvoting ex officio members (the Fire Chief
and the Building Safety Supervisor, or their designees). The composition of the nine
members is as follows: one electrical engineer; one mechanical engineer; one licensed
plumber; one architect; one structural engineer; one electrician; one mechanical
technician; one residential homebuilder or realtor; and one commercial builder or
developer.
3. Term of Service: Three-year term.
4. Duties: Per Ordinance, the Code Review and Appeals Board shall (1) carry on a
continuing review of and shall advise the Council regarding all building construction
and maintenance codes adopted and enforced by the City, (2) hear appeals by persons
or entities directly or materially affected by a code violation or decisions involving
codes as it applies to new construction, and (3) perform such other duties as may from
time to time be assigned by the Council.
5. Meetings: When there is business to conduct, meetings are held on the fourth
Wednesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. at Fire Station 1, located at 307 S. Randolph
Street.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 2013-074 amended this Division to dissolve
the Code Enforcement Board of Appeals and transfer those duties to the Code Review
Committee; creating the Code Review and Appeals Board and Council Bill 2013-075
which appointed the initial members of the new board.
7. Staff Support: Fire Department (not prescribed by Ordinance).

h. Neighborhood Services Advisory Board.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 5.5; Board Rules and Bylaws
2. Composition: Seven members. Two of the members represent the Restoration or
Preservation planning areas as defined in the City's Neighborhood Wellness Plan and
are residents of those areas while the remaining five members are residents chosen at
large.
3. Term of Service: Four-year term.
4. Duties: The Neighborhood Services Advisory Board is to assist in the articulation of
citizen concerns and direction for Neighborhood Wellness and the activities of the
Neighborhood Services Department. Specifically, the Neighborhood Services
Advisory Board shall (1) hold public hearings and information meetings and make
recommendations to the City Council on the development of the Consolidated Plan to
include the community Development Block Grant allocation and the Home
Partnership Fund allocation, (2) hold public hearings and information meetings and
make recommendations to the City Council on other programs and or applications for
local, State, or Federal funding related to the improvement of housing opportunities
for low- and moderate-income persons, and community development activities of the
Neighborhood Services Department, (2) assist in communicating the purpose, needs
and activities of community development and neighborhood wellness efforts, (3)
provide opportunities for citizen participation in community development activities,
(4) encourage citizens to participate in the development and implementation of
neighborhood programs, (5) assist neighborhood volunteers in coordinating
neighborhood improvement projects, and (6) assess the performance of the
Neighborhood Services Department [annual] program.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held on the second Thursday during the months of February,
March, September, and November at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 2006-187 amended this Division to modify the
composition of the Neighborhood Services Advisory Board to include two members
from targeted neighborhood wellness planning areas and five members appointed at-
large.
7. Staff Support: Neighborhood Services Director (per Ordinance).

i. Plan Commission.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 12; Commission Rules and Bylaws
2. Composition: Seven members and two alternate members.
3. Term of Service: Three-year term.
4. Duties: Per 65 ILCS 5/11-12-5, the Plan Commission has the power to (1) to prepare
and recommend to the corporate authorities a comprehensive plan for the present and
future development or redevelopment of the municipality, (2) to recommend changes,
from time to time, in the official comprehensive plan, (3) to prepare and recommend
to the corporate authorities, from time to time, plans for specific improvements in
pursuance of the official comprehensive plan, (4) To give aid to the municipal
officials charged with the direction of projects for improvements embraced within the
official plan, to further the making of these projects, and, generally, to promote the
realization of the official comprehensive plan, (5) to prepare and recommend to the
corporate authorities schemes for regulating or forbidding structures or activities
which may hinder access to solar energy necessary for the proper functioning of solar
energy systems, as defined in Section 1.2 of the Comprehensive Solar Energy Act of
1977, or to recommend changes in such schemes, and (6) to exercise such other
powers germane to the powers granted by this Article as may be conferred by the
corporate authorities.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 4:00
p.m. in City Council Chambers.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 1988-370 amended this Division to update the
title of the City staff member assigned to support the Commission.
7. Staff Support: Planning Director (per Ordinance).

j. Zoning Board of Appeals.

1. City Code: Chapter 2, Article V, Division 14; Board Rules and Bylaws
2. Composition: Seven members.
3. Term of Service: Five-year term.
4. Duties: Per Ordinance, the Zoning Board of Appeals has the duty to hear and decide
(a) appeals from any order, requirement, decision, or determination made by the
Zoning Administrator, (b) requests for variations in the application of the regulations
imposed by the Zoning Ordinance, and (c) all other matters specifically referred to it
by the provisions of Zoning Ordinance or any other chapter of this Code.
5. Meetings: Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 4:00 p.m. in City
Council Chambers.
6. Last Ordinance Revision: Council Bill 1997-311 amended Chapter 2 Article V to
reestablish the Board and reaffirm its decisions after a 1996 rewrite of the Zoning
Ordinance inadvertently omitted the Board.
7. Staff Support: Planning Department (per Ordinance).