Otherwise, executive authority lies with the supervisor and various committees.Ī charter township may establish a variety of municipal services, such as a police force, fire department, and assessors, and may also acquire property. (This is comparable to cities that hire a city manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the city). Ĭharter townships may appoint either a township superintendent or township manager, who can be assigned responsibilities for managing township functions. If a general law township with a five-member board elects to become a charter township, two additional members are to be elected in the next general election. Unlike the boards for general law townships, which may have either five or seven members, a charter township must have seven members. All members of the board serve four-year terms. They must be residents of the township and eligible to vote in elections.

Legislative authority is exercised by an elected township board of seven members, consisting of the supervisor, township clerk, township treasurer, and four trustees. It possesses all the powers of a non-charter township, in addition to those specified by the Charter Township Act of 1947. A township with a population of 2,000 or more may incorporate as a charter township and become a municipal corporation.

As of November 2014, there were 118 charter townships in Michigan (Alpena Township was chartered on February 26, 2018). In 1947, the state legislature created a special charter township status, which grants additional powers and streamlined administration in order to provide greater protection for townships against annexation of land by cities and villages. Unless it is a home-rule village, a village is subject to the authority of any township in which it is located.įollowing World War II, suburbanization increased the population in many formerly outlying communities. A charter township has been granted a charter, which allows it certain rights and responsibilities of home rule that are generally intermediate between those of a city (a semi-autonomous jurisdiction in Michigan) and a village. Townships in Michigan are organized governments.

JSTOR ( March 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī charter township is a form of local government in the U.S.

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Township definition