In Michigan, if you don’t live in a city, you live in a township. Townships are a product of Michigan’s early history, and Michigan currently contains 1,240 townships that vary in size and population. It is not uncommon in Michigan, to have a village reside within a township as is the case in Armada.

Michigan townships are statutory units of government. State laws authorize townships to perform a wide variety of functions and townships are required to perform assessment administration, tax collection and elections administration. Beyond that, a township may choose to perform numerous governmental functions, including enacting and enforcing ordinances, planning and zoning, fire and police protection, cemeteries, parks and recreation facilities and programs, among others.

Township government is conducted by a township board consisting of either five or seven members, depending upon the desires of the inhabitants, the population and the specific form of township government established. The officers of the board are designated supervisor, clerk, treasurer and trustee, with the trustees numbering either two or four. The township board may also serve in other specific capacities, such as a park or utility board.

Anatomy of a Township
Township Government in Michigan