Civil Township - Midwestern, Central and Western States

Midwestern, Central and Western States

See also: Political subdivisions of Wisconsin

Depending on the state, the township government has varying degrees of authority.

In the state of Kansas some civil townships provide services such as Road Maintenance and Fire Protection Services not provided by the county.

In the Upper Midwestern states near the Great Lakes, civil townships (known in Michigan as general law townships) are often, but not always, overlaid on the survey townships. The degree to which these townships are functioning governmental entities varies from state to state and in some cases even within a state. For example, Illinois townships in the northern part of the state are active in providing public services — such as road maintenance, after-school care, and senior services — whereas townships in southern Illinois frequently abandon these services in favor of the county. In contrast, civil townships in Indiana are operated in a relatively consistent manner state-wide and tend to be well organized, with each served by a township trustee and a three-member board. Most townships in Illinois also provide services such as snow removal, senior transportation and emergency services to households residing in unincorporated parts of the county.

Civil townships in these states are generally not considered to be incorporated, and nearby cities may annex land in adjoining townships with relative ease. In Michigan, general law townships can incorporate as charter townships, a status intended to protect against annexation from nearby municipalities and which grants the township some home rule powers similar to cities. In Wisconsin, such regions are known as "towns" rather than townships, but they are essentially the same. In Minnesota, state statute refers to such entities as towns yet requires them to have a name in the form "Name Township". In both documents and conversation, "town" and "township" are used interchangeably. Minnesota townships can be either Non-Urban or Urban (giving the township government greater power), but this is not reflected in the township's name. In Ohio, a city or village is overlaid onto a township unless it withdraws by establishing a paper township. Where the paper township does not extend to the city limits, property owners pay taxes for both the township and municipality. Ten other states also allow townships and municipalities to overlap.