Who Does What in Our Community?

Village vs. Township

The Village of Essex and Essex Township are two separate taxing bodies within Kankakee County, IL. These two governments manage different responsibilities for the community.

The Village of Essex oversees various functions within its boundaries these include: sewer services, garbage collection, maintenance of village streets, parks, issuance of permits, zoning, code enforcement, local ordinances, and providing police services.

Essex Township covers a large area of 36.2 square miles. The township has various responsibilities such as: maintaining township roads outside of the village limits (excluding state roads), oversees two township cemeteries, helps residents through a general assistance program, and handles property assessments through the tax assessor- who shares responsibilities with Salina Township.

Most other functions outside of the village limits that are not handled by the township are handled by Kankakee County.

This post is for informational purposes only and is intended to help residents better understand local government roles. It is not intended to represent official policy or legal advice.