Michigan Municipal League January/February 2024 Review Magazine

125th Anniversary

Cooperation Solves Any Problem: 125 Years Strong

1908—Saginaw Mayor William Baum, first League president (pictured second from the right).

–By League Staff

The history of the Michigan Municipal League is a story of municipal leaders who built a cooperative organization aimed at improving municipal government.

Mayors Unite for Home Rule In January 1899, the mayor of Grand Rapids enlisted the mayor of Saginaw to unite other mayors behind the principle of home rule. Simultaneously, the Saginaw mayor was envisioning a new organization of cities and villages dedicated to good governance. Sensing that the conversation contained the nucleus of a successful dialogue, he agreed. Every mayor in Michigan was invited to a meeting in Lansing. On May 23, 1899, the group drafted a constitution—stating its purpose as “the general improvement of every branch of municipal administration”—adopted bylaws, and elected temporary officers. The League of Michigan Municipalities was officially formed. Shared Problem Solving From the beginning, the League worked on shared problem solving and cooperative support. Major issues in the early decades included uniform accounting; local government organization; constitutional home rule for cities and villages; redistricting to secure better representation in Lansing; and the evolution of nonpartisan nominations and elections.

Making it Formal From 1899 to 1928 the League existed with no permanent secretariat and just enough funds to cover mailings and bulletins. Concerns about the organization’s effectiveness and survival prompted a committee to consider a complete reorganization of the League of Michigan Municipalities. At the 1925 League Convention in Muskegon, the committee recommended: 1. An increased sliding scale of membership dues based on population, 2. Appointment of an executive secretary, 3. Establishment of a League office in connection with the Bureau of Government at University of Michigan 4. Publication of a periodical for Michigan local officials, and 5. Establishment of a clearinghouse of information. The committee’s recommendations were implemented: a membership drive was launched, the first executive director hired, a building secured, a magazine initiated, and a central information bureau established.

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| January/February 2024