Charter Township - Government

Government

Legislative authority is exercised by a township board of seven members consisting of the supervisor, the township clerk, the township treasurer, and four trustees who are eligible to vote in elections and are residents of the township. All members of the board serve four-year terms. Unlike the boards for general law townships, which may have either five or seven members, a charter township must have seven members. 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.

Charter townships may appoint either a township superintendent or township manager, who can be assigned responsibilities for managing township functions (this is comparable to cities that utilize a city manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of the city). Otherwise, executive authority lies with the supervisor, and various committees.