Anatomy of a Township

The Anatomy of a Township

Bedford Township is your home - your community! Maybe you have recently moved here, or maybe this is your hometown and you have never lived anywhere else. Whatever your situation, you may not be aware of the types of government that manage your little part of the world. Many questions have been addressed regarding the local "Department of Works," or who is your "Mayor?" These questions come from new, as well as long standing residents and they reflect a lack of understanding about the type of government which exists here. Maybe the information in this article will help you gain an understanding of what the Township can and cannot do to serve its citizens.

Bedford Township is a General Law Township. Townships first came into existence in Michigan through the Northwest Ordinance passed in 1787. They are generally 36 square miles (although in some cases boundaries were not able to be drawn precisely - Bedford is 39 square miles), and vary in population. They were originally formed to localize relief for the poor, cemetery maintenance, horse and cattle problems, and assessing property. Though the duties and responsibilities have changed with the times, the scope of the responsibility for the most part has not changed for General Law Townships. Townships that have become "Charter" are able to levy millage on the residents without a vote of the people, but this is not permitted in General Law Townships, such as Bedford.

Bedford Township does not have a mayor or city council because we are not a city. Bedford is governed by an elected Township Board of (7) seven people, consisting of the Supervisor, Clerk and Treasurer (all full time positions) and (4) four Trustees (all part time). The full time officials are responsible for the day to day operations of the Township, along with having a seat on the Township Board for discussions and decisions of policy. The Trustees are not in the office daily, but mainly serve as policy makers. The seven member Board meets twice monthly on a continual basis; however, they occasionally schedule special meetings to handle emergencies or added business. The areas of supervision for the daily functions of the Township office are divided between the Supervisor, Clerk and Treasurer. Some of the duties are stipulated by statue and others are organized for efficiency in managing the Township.

A General Law Township is funded mainly through State Shared Revenues, and does not have the authority or ability to levy any tax on its residents without a vote of the people. Consequently, the township does not offer street cleaning, refuse hauling, sidewalk maintenance or other services provided in a city because tax payers have not passed a millage to cover the cost. The extra millages that have been levied (library and fire) have been voted in by the people of Bedford Township.

General Law Townships are also prohibited by law to construct and maintain their own roads. The County Road Commission is legally the agency that must care for the roads. That does not prevent the local residents from determining that they want more than the Road Commission can provide, and in so doing, fund portions of the road work out of the local budget. Bedford Township receives one allocated mill from the State, and the revenues of that millage used from the General Fund to supplement the money the County appropriates for Bedford Roads.

There is far more to your local government than this short article can cover. There is the connection with county agencies, services provided at the Township Hall, our responsibility with regard to new construction, your Freedom of Information Act rights, ordinance restrictions and many, many more areas that you can obtain information by contacting us. We will be more than happy to help you find answers to your questions or put you in touch with someone who can.

08/17/2005