By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

With the 2020 Census behind us, general law townships across the state and Livingston County are fulfilling their duty in considering potential chartering.

Following each federal census, Michigan’s Secretary of State notifies each township that has a minimum of 2,000 residents and is not chartered the opportunity to become a charter township.

Hartland Township Manager Bob West explains one of the more noticeable differences between a general law township, which Hartland is, and a charter township, is that being chartered protects the township from being annexed from a neighboring city. He told WHMI, “We don’t see that as a threat in Hartland Township, nor do we have a desire to necessarily operate by the other requirements of a charter township.”

The Michigan Township Association also notes organizational differences in that The Charter Township Act of 1947 grants a township supervisor more authority over the day-to-day operations of the township than one in a general law township.

General law townships have 3 choices to make, being to oppose incorporation as a charter township, to adopt intent to become one, or to give the decision to the voters. West said Hartland officials unanimously passed a resolution opposing it at their latest meeting. Similarly, their neighbors to the north in Tyrone Township expressed the same opinion during a Board of Trustees meeting in January.

Livingston County currently has 3 charter townships: Brighton, Genoa, and Green Oak.