There are 15 townships in Cass County: Calvin, Howard, Jefferson, LaGrange, Marcellus, Mason, Milton, Newberg, Ontwa, Penn, Pokagon, Porter, Silver Creek, Volinia and Wayne.

Township boards are comprised of five or seven seats:  supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and two to four trustees. These board seats are not volunteer positions, they are elected positions. Some townships have regular office hours and some do not, which affords very flexible work hours for township officials. Most are part-time and all are paid positions. These are great public service jobs for anyone wanting to work part-time flexible hours. You just need to run for the position at the right time and get your name on the ballot.

Township board seats will be up for re-election in 2020.  Intent to file applications are on the Secretary of State website and the deadline for filing for these positions is 4 p.m. April 21. Contact your township clerk for more information.  The purpose of getting this information out there now is to give interested individuals time to do the research, attend a meeting, find out if you have real interest in this type of public service. You must live in the township you are running for a board seat in.

Even if you decide running for a board seat is not for you, you can learn what is going on with your local township government — and your tax dollars.

Township meetings are grossly under attended and township business is misunderstood.

Here are some facts about townships:

• There are 1,240 townships in the state of Michigan. In fact, you live in a township, unless you live in a city.

• Michigan townships govern more than 96 percent of Michigan’s land area — in which more than 58 percent of Michigan’s property values are located.

• There are three broad responsibilities mandated to Michigan townships by state law: tax collection, property assessment and election administration.

• Michigan townships provide essential services tailored to meet the needs of their residents, including fire, police and emergency services, libraries, parks and recreation, planning and zoning, senior citizen programs, road maintenance, cemeteries and more.

• Typically, though not always, townships are 36 square miles in size.

• Each township is governed by an elected board of trustees consisting of the supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and two or four trustees.

• The entire state is covered by townships except for areas within cities.

What are township officials’ statutory duties?

Township supervisor’s statutory duties:

• Moderates board and annual meetings

• Chief assessing officer (if certified)

• Secretary to board of review

• Township’s legal agent

• Must maintain records of supervisor’s office

• Responsible for tax allocation board budget (if applicable)

• Develops township budget

• Appoints some commission members

• May call special township board meetings

• May appoint a deputy

Township clerk’s statutory duties:

• Maintains custody of all township records

• Maintains general ledger

• Prepares warrants for township checks

• Records and maintains township board meeting minutes

• Keeps the township book of oaths

• Responsible for most board special meeting notices

• Publishes board meeting minutes (if taxable value is $85 million in 2018, annually indexed, or a charter township)

• Keeps voter registration file and conducts elections

• Keeps township ordinance book

• Prepares financial statements

• Delivers tax certificates to supervisor and county clerk by Sept. 30

• Must appoint a deputy

• Must post a surety bond

Township treasurer’s statutory duties:

• Collects real and personal property taxes

• Keeps an account of township receipts (revenues) and expenditures

• Issues township checks

• Deposits township revenues in approved depositories

• Invests township funds in approved investment vehicles

• Collects delinquent personal property tax

• Responsible for jeopardy assessments in collecting property tax

• Collects mobile home specific tax

• Must appoint a deputy

• Must post a surety bond

Township trustees’ statutory duties:

• Township legislators with same authority as other board offices at board meetings, required to vote on all issues (where there is no conflict of interest)

• Responsible for township’s fiduciary health (stewardship)

Information has been gathered from the Michigan Township Association website, michigantownships.org. If you have any questions regarding this article or general questions please email: runin2020@gmail.com.

Renee Meiser is the former Pokagon Township clerk. She can be reached at renmeiser@gmail.com.