Administrative Divisions of Michigan - County

County

See also: List of counties in Michigan

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 from the County Clerk to the County Treasurer. However, 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. All other counties are structured according to state law.

Read more about this topic:  Administrative Divisions Of Michigan

Famous quotes containing the word county:

    “In the County Tyrone, in the town of Dungannon,”
    —Unknown. The Old Orange Flute (l. 1)

    “I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,—if ten honest men only,—ay, if one HONEST man, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America. For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever.”
    —Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    “A horse, a buggy and several sets of harness, valued in all at about $250, were stolen last night from the stable of Howard Quinlan, near Kingsville. The county police are at work on the case, but so far no trace of either thieves or booty has been found.”
    —H.L. (Henry Lewis)