City (Michigan)

The state of Michigan is largely divided in the same way as many other U.S. states, but is distinct in its usage of charter townships. Michigan ranks 13th among the fifty states in terms of the number of local governmental entities.

The state is divided into 83 counties, and further divided into 1,240 townships, 276 cities, and 257 villages. Additionally, the state consists of 553 school districts, 57 intermediate school districts, 14 planning and development regions, and over 300 special districts and authorities.

Michigan is divided into 83 counties, the primary administrative division of Michigan. This local government division has its greatest effect on unincorporated lands within the county, and can provide service which can include law enforcement, justice administration, health care, among other basic services. Where places within the county are incorporated, and thus granted home rule, the power of the county government is greatly diminished.

The government of the state's counties is largely structured as county board of commissioners, which function as the legislative body of the county with some executive powers with several elected executives, as required by the state constitution from the a sheriff, county clerk, county treasurer, register of deeds, and prosecuting attorney. The current constitution had a county board of supervisors, a body composed of township and city officials, which was struck down by Federal Courts.

Counties have four options for their government form: general law, unified, optional unified and charter. All forms are restricted to having those constitutional elected county official continue to be elected under all options. Both version of the unified plan makes the commission only a legislative body and adds an executive and a department structure changeable by board action. With the regular Unified plan, a modified council-manager form, has the county commissioners selecting an appointed county manager to head up the executive branch not under the elected officials. Four Michigan counties (Bay County, Oakland County, Wayne County, and Macomb County) function under a county executive form of government, where the executive powers are removed from the county commission and turned over to a County Executive. Wayne and Macomb Counties are the only counties in the state to have adopted a Home Rule Charter. Bay and Oakland have a county executive under the optional unified plan.

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Wikipedia