Michigan Municipal League: The Review Magazine Jan-Feb 2023 Edition

MICHIGAN IS DIVIDED INTO 83 Counties 1,242 Townships 280 Cities

• 4 fourth class cities • 1 special charter city 253 Villages • 207 general law villages • 46 home rule villages

Interesting Municipal Facts Who’s the oldest? Who’s the newest?

The League’s Information Service provides member officials with answers to questions on a vast array of municipal topics. Call 1.800.653.2483 or email info@mml.org.

Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest community, founded in 1641. However, Detroit was the first incorporated “town” in 1802 and then as a city in 1815; followed by Monroe in 1837 and Grand Rapids in 1850. Grosse Pointe Farms is the only municipality incorporated from a detached territory (from Grosse Pointe Village in 1893). The village of Lake Isabella is the most recent incorporation from an unincorporated area (in 1998). The most recent incorporations of general law villages to cities were Dexter (2014), Jonesville (2014), and Ovid (2015). Mackinac Island is the only remaining special charter city. The only city/city/village consolidation in Michigan occurred in 2000 when the cities of Iron River and Stambaugh, and the village of Mineral Hills, merged. The following cities incorporated from townships: Auburn Hills, 1983 Burton, 1971 Farmington Hills, 1972 (also included the villages of Quakertown and Woodcreek Farms) Livonia, 1950 Norton Shores, 1967 Portage, 1963 Rochester Hills, 1984 Romulus, 1968 Southgate, 1958 Sterling Heights, 1966 Taylor, 1966 Warren, 1955 (the original village added Warren Township when it incorporated as a city) Westland, 1964

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2023

THE REVIEW