changes from village to city
Impact of changing from a village to a city edited by Sue A. Jeffers
Since 1931 there has been a steady conversion of villages to cities in
Michigan. This trend may indicate that there are certain advantages to be gained by changing to the city form of government.
This article is an attempt to present an objective analysis of the factors which may influence a decision to remain a village or to seek city status. A secondary objective of this article is to compare city government with village government for citizens of built-up township areas, who may be considering some form of municipal incorporation.
All new city or village incorporations, with or without a change in boundaries, must come before the State Boundary Commission
(1968 PA 19, as amended). Proposed consolidation and annexation must follow the same procedure. The only exception is for a village which constitutes all the remaining territory of a township
(MCL 123.1010). Lake Angelus is an example of a city incorporated under this provision.
An important secondary advantage to be gained by incorporating as a city is the opportunity to draft a new charter under the provisions of the Home Rule City
Act (1909 PA 279). The new charter may include an organizational pattern and administrative procedures which are designed for that specific municipality. While such a charter may also be secured through the process of charter revision as a home rule village, the additional benefits to be derived from city incorporation may provide the necessary stimulus for bringing it about sooner. The advantage of charter modernization
Reprinted from May 2003,
might also accrue to home rule villages operating under charters which contain obsolete provisions or are otherwise out of date.
While emphasis has been placed on the advantages of incorporating as a home rule city with the establishment of a new and more modern organizational plan, only brief reference is made to the
Since 1931 there has been a steady conversion of villages to cities in
Michigan. This trend may indicate that there are certain advantages to be gained by changing to the city form of government.
This article is an attempt to present an objective analysis of the factors which may influence a decision to remain a village or to seek city status. A secondary objective of this article is to compare city government with village government for citizens of built-up township areas, who may be considering some form of municipal incorporation.
All new city or village incorporations, with or without a change in boundaries, must come before the State Boundary Commission
(1968 PA 19, as amended). Proposed consolidation and annexation must follow the same procedure. The only exception is for a village which constitutes all the remaining territory of a township
(MCL 123.1010). Lake Angelus is an example of a city incorporated under this provision.
An important secondary advantage to be gained by incorporating as a city is the opportunity to draft a new charter under the provisions of the Home Rule City
Act (1909 PA 279). The new charter may include an organizational pattern and administrative procedures which are designed for that specific municipality. While such a charter may also be secured through the process of charter revision as a home rule village, the additional benefits to be derived from city incorporation may provide the necessary stimulus for bringing it about sooner. The advantage of charter modernization
Reprinted from May 2003,
might also accrue to home rule villages operating under charters which contain obsolete provisions or are otherwise out of date.
While emphasis has been placed on the advantages of incorporating as a home rule city with the establishment of a new and more modern organizational plan, only brief reference is made to the