Townships are a product of Michigan’s early history, and Michigan is one of the 20 states that currently have some form of township government. Township government powers in Michigan have grown to the point that it is difficult to discern the differences between townships, cities, and villages.
There are, however, significant differences that are important to the people charged with administering townships affairs and deciding township policies. Townships and counties are statutory units of government, having only those powers expressly provided or fairly implied by state law. Cities and most villages are vested with home rule powers, meaning they can do almost anything not prohibited by law.
There are two types of townships in Michigan-general law and charter townships. Charter Township status is a special township classification created by the Michigan Legislature in 1947 to provide additional powers and stream-lined administration for governing a growing community. A primary motivation for townships to adopt the charter form is to provide greater protection against annexation by a city. As of April 2001, 127 Michigan townships have opted to become a charter township.
The State of Michigan currently contains 1,242 townships, which vary considerably in geographical size and population. Based on 2000 figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, township population in Michigan varies from 10 to 95, 648 people.
Township government is conducted by a township board consisting of either five or seven members-a clerk, supervisor, treasurer, and two or four trustees-that is determined by the desires of the township residents, whether the township has a population of over 3,000 or 5,000 registered electors, and if the township has charter status. The township board may also hire a manager, assessor, police, or fire chief, superintendent and other necessary personnel to properly and efficiently operate the township.
State laws authorize townships to perform a wide variety of functions in two important categories: mandated and permissive. Mandated functions are activities that townships are required to perform. The three broadest mandated responsibilities are assessment administration, elections administration and tax collection, which are legally assigned functions of the supervisor, clerk and treasurer, respectively. State laws also specify details for performing these functions.
In
addition to these broad mandates, there are other, more narrow state
requirements. Procedures for the
township’s financial administration, such as budgets, accounting, investments
and deposits, are closely regulated by the state. Township meetings must comply
with Michigan’s Open Meetings Act (MCL 15.261-15.275), and township records
must be stored and made available in conformance with specific laws, such as
the Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231-15.246).
The
Township Zoning Act (MCL 125.271-125.310) gives townships broad powers to enact
and enforce ordinances. Zoning
ordinances give townships the authority to regulate land use, while many other
specific ordinances control activities that infringe on the rights of
citizens.
The Michigan Constitution and State statutes also limit the amount of property tax millage that townships can levy for general township operations. General law townships are allocated at least 1 mill from the constitutionally limited 15/18 mills allocated among townships, the country, public schools and the intermediate school district. Charter townships, like cities, do not share in this allocated millage, but townships chartered by a referendum may levy up to 5 mills. Townships chartered by board resolution after November 22, 1978, must have a vote of the electors authorizing the levy of 5 mills. In either case the 5 mill limit may be increased up to 10 mills with a vote of the electors.
Townships serve other governmental units by providing tax collection services. To avoid imposing an unnecessary burden on citizens to pay separate property taxes to the township, schools, special assessment districts and the county, Michigan townships provide uniform assessment of property value and collect all property taxes on behalf of the other unit of government. Only a very small portion of the taxes collected are retained by the township for its own operating purposes.
Michigan townships, large and small, provide services tailored to meet the needs of their residents. Township officials represent the level of government closest and most responsive to the wishes of the people.