A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county , most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England , New York , as well as Wisconsin to refer to the equivalent of the civil township in these states; Minnesota uses "town" officially but often uses it and "township" interchangeably. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary in each state . Civil townships are distinct from survey townships , but in states that have both, the boundaries often coincide, especially in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois, and may completely geographically subdivide a county. The U.S. Census Bureau classifies civil townships as minor civil divisions . Currently, there are 20 states with civil townships, including Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia (in certain areas).
41-416: Crockery Township is a civil township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan . As of the 2020 census , the township population was 4,572. There are no incorporated municipalities within the township. Spring Lake Township lies to the west, Muskegon County is to the north, and Polkton Township to the east. The Grand River forms the southern boundary, with Allendale Charter Township to
82-471: A female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.08. In the township the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
123-455: A governing board (the name varies from state to state) and a clerk, trustee, or mayor (in New Jersey and the metro townships of Utah ). Township officers frequently include justice of the peace , road commissioner , assessor , constable , in addition to surveyor . In the 20th century, many townships also added a township administrator or supervisor to the officers as an executive for
164-460: A single township trustee and a three-member board. Civil townships in these states are generally not incorporated , and nearby cities may annex land in adjoining townships with relative ease. In Michigan, however, general law townships are corporate entities (e.g. they can be the subject of lawsuits), and some can become reformulated as charter townships , a status intended to protect against annexation from nearby municipalities and which grants
205-508: Is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town , city , borough , or village . They collect property taxes and provide services such as maintaining roads, garbage collection, water, sewer, schools, police and fire protection. The Township form of local government is used by 27% of New Jersey municipalities; however, slightly over 50% of the state's population resides within them. Townships in New Jersey differ from townships elsewhere in
246-493: Is divided into townships as mandated since the North Carolina Constitution of 1868. Some urbanized counties such as Mecklenburg County ( Charlotte ) now number their townships (e.g. "Township 12") rather than using names. Townships all over the state used to have some official organization and duties but now are only considered ceremonial divisions of each county. Township names are still used quite extensively at
287-837: Is no government per se at the township level in North Carolina, and there are no elected or appointed offices associated with townships. In 2015 Utah created a form of civil township called a metro township . While each metro township has a mayor and township council, and manage a budget, and cannot be annexed without its permission, its powers of taxation are limited, and must contract with other municipalities or municipal shared-service districts for most municipal services (police, for example). The five metro townships—all located in Salt Lake County —are Kearns , Magna , Copperton , Emigration Canyon and White City . As of 2012, there were 16,360 organized town or township governments in
328-403: Is often abbreviated TWP or Twp . Some official documents abbreviate it as "Twsp." Historically, a variety of legislation has been passed by the state legislature that has defined and refined the township form of municipal government: The Township Act of 1798 was the first state legislation to incorporate municipalities. The government defined was a form of direct democracy , similar to
369-466: Is similar, in that it is a form of municipal government equal in status to a village , town , borough , or city , and provides similar services to a Pennsylvania township, and varies in size from one-tenth ( Shrewsbury Twp. ) to one hundred ( Jackson Twp. ) square miles. In the Southern U.S. , outside cities and towns there is generally no local government other than the county. Arkansas townships are
410-532: Is subdivided into counties, which are subdivided into cities and towns—except for New York City , whose five coextensive counties for state government purposes are municipal boroughs for city government purposes ( Bronx County/The Bronx , Kings County/Brooklyn , New York County/Manhattan , Queens County/Queens , and Richmond County/Staten Island ). As in New England, the term "town" equates to "township" in most other states. Additionally, New Yorkers colloquially use
451-403: Is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. North Carolina is no exception to that rule, but it does have townships as minor geographical subdivisions of counties, including both unincorporated territory and also land within the bounds of incorporated cities and towns (as well as the extraterritorial jurisdiction of municipalities). Every county
SECTION 10
#1732876642692492-794: The Upper Midwestern states near the Great Lakes , civil townships (known in Michigan as general law townships and in Wisconsin as towns), are often, but not always, overlaid on survey townships. The degree to which these townships are functioning governmental entities varies from state to state and in some cases even within a state. For example, townships in the northern part of Illinois are active in providing public services—such as road maintenance, after-school care, and senior services—whereas townships in southern Illinois frequently delegate these services to
533-465: The maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island ) in 1749 in the form of townships controlled by a court of quarter sessions , a system that had characterized local government in Britain and Virginia. This court had both administrative and judicial functions, and took over most responsibilities of local government, including the appointment of necessary officers. A form of direct democracy
574-581: The poverty line , including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. The Western Michigan region has been inhabited by the Ottawa Native Americans for centuries. It is from this tribe that the county takes its name. The first European explorers in the Ottawa County region were the French-Canadian explorers Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette , who passed through
615-478: The New England town meeting , in which the vote was available to all white males, at least 21 years old, who were citizens of New Jersey, and residents of the township for at least six months; and who paid taxes in the township, or who owned land, or rented a home in the township for a rent of at least five dollars a year. A group of five freeholders was elected to one-year terms on the Township Committee, which
656-578: The United States. In many states, townships can be an intermediate form of government, between county government and municipalities that are subordinate parts of the township, with different government responsibilities allocated at each level. In New Jersey, there are no subordinate municipalities located within a township, as townships are equivalent to all other forms of local municipalities. Municipalities in New Jersey may be classified into one of five types , of which townships are one. Townships may retain
697-411: The board. In some cases, townships run local libraries , senior citizen services, youth services, disabled citizen services, cemetery services, besides emergency assistance. In some states, a township and a municipality that is coterminous with that township may wholly or partially consolidate their operations. Depending on the state, the township government has varying degrees of authority. In
738-575: The boundaries of a town that provide additional government services not provided by their parent town, such as sewage, fire, law enforcement, garbage collection, public facilities, water and building code enforcement. In Vermont, most current cities were actually former villages that broke off from their parent town. Connecticut has boroughs and non-consolidated cities, although these communities are not as autonomous as villages in New York and Vermont, and today there are only eight non-consolidated boroughs (plus
779-408: The committee selects one of its elected members to serve as mayor and preside at meetings. The other members of the township committee serve as commissioners of various township departments, overseeing the work of those areas along with overall legislative issues. Some mayors in this form of government also oversee specific departments. The mayor in this form of government is primarily ceremonial and has
820-431: The community of Groton Long Point ) and one non-consolidated city. A Pennsylvania township is a unit of local government, responsible for services such as police departments, local road and street maintenance . It acts the same as a city or borough . Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to fifty-two square miles (10–135 km ). A New Jersey township
861-820: The county government level in North Carolina as a way of determining and dividing up areas for administrative purposes; primarily for collecting county taxes, determining fire districts (e.g. Lebanon Township in Durham County gives its name to the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department ), for real estate purposes such as categorizing land deeds, land surveys and other real estate documents, and for voter registration purposes. In most areas of North Carolina that are outside any municipal limit (outside cities or towns), townships are used to determine voter polling places, and in most instances county election boards divide up their voter precincts by township. However, there
SECTION 20
#1732876642692902-745: The county. In New England and New York , states are generally subdivided into towns and cities, which are municipalities that provide most local services. With the exception of a few remote areas of New Hampshire and Vermont and about half of Maine , all of New England lies within the borders of an incorporated municipality. New England has counties, though in southern New England, they are strictly used as dividing lines for judicial systems and statistical purposes, while in northern New England, they often handle other limited functions, such as law enforcement, education and some public facilities in addition to judicial systems. New England also has cities , most of which are towns whose residents have voted to replace
943-590: The county. Most townships in Illinois also provide services such as snow removal, senior transportation, and emergency services to households residing in unincorporated parts of the county. The townships in Illinois each have a township board, whose board members were formerly called township trustees , and a single township supervisor. In contrast, civil townships in Indiana are operated in a relatively consistent manner statewide and tend to be well organized, with each served by
984-463: The divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, the U.S. census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city
1025-411: The following 21 states: There were 29 states without organized town or township governments as of 2012: The provinces of Eastern Canada have, or have had, divisions that are analogous to the townships of the United States. Ontario and Quebec continue to have townships that subdivide their respective counties. Local government was introduced into Nova Scotia (which at the time also included
1066-425: The much-amended Act of 1899. It retains a three or five member township committee serving staggered terms, whose members are generally elected at-large. The committee elects a mayor from among its members to serve a one-year term. Partisan elections are allowed under this law. Voters may initiate a referendum to change the membership to consist of either 3 or 5 members. While many township committees directly supervise
1107-524: The operation of their municipality, the revised act allows the committee to delegate all or a portion of its responsibilities to an appointed municipal administrator. A number of municipalities changed to the Township type, or the Township form of government, between 1979 and 1982. A federal law, The State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 provided funding to the states to be divided between state and municipal governments. In 1981, states were removed from
1148-400: The prospect after three years. These acts were repealed in 1879, and townships were replaced in the third quarter of the 19th century by self-governing municipalities. Township (New Jersey) A township , in the context of New Jersey local government , refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government . As a political entity, a township in New Jersey
1189-546: The region in the mid 17th century. European settlement in the area proceeded slowly until the mid 19th century, when zinc was discovered in Crockery Creek in 1858. (Barnes, 1997) In 1872, the town of Nunica was officially incorporated, the name taken from the Ottawa word for zinc. The 1880 census showed approximately 1,000 settlers in the region. (Barnes, 1997) Civil township Township functions are generally overseen by
1230-435: The same power as other township committee members. The mayor does hold the powers vested in all mayors under state law One township committee member is elected deputy mayor each year. Some towns with this form of government rotate the mayor's office each year, while others elect the same mayor for 2–3 consecutive years. Out of the 240 townships in the state, the township form of government is used by 140. On road signs, township
1271-555: The southeast, Robinson Township to the south, and Grand Haven Charter Township to the southwest. The Grand Haven urban area is about 10-mile (16 km) west of the center of the township and Coopersville is about 10 miles (16 km) to the east. The township is drained entirely by tributaries of the Grand River , including the Crockery Creek in the eastern portion. According to the United States Census Bureau ,
Crockery Township, Michigan - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-544: The term "township" to mean "town". Townships and hamlets are unincorporated areas within a town or towns. Because towns are administrative divisions of a county, town boundaries cannot cross county lines. In addition to administrative subdivisions, New York State also has cities . Cities in New York are fully autonomous municipal corporations and, thus, are able to cross county lines and whose governments fully independent of county control. Finally, New York and Vermont also have villages, which are smaller communities lying within
1353-463: The town meeting form of government with a city form. Maine has a third type of township called a plantation , which previously existed in other New England states, that has more limited self-governance than other New England towns. In portions of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, county subdivisions that are not incorporated are occasionally called townships, or by other terms such as " gore ", "grant", "location", or "purchase". The State of New York
1394-467: The township form of government, or adopt one of the modern forms of government, which are not restricted to a particular type of municipality. In New Jersey, a municipality's name (such as X Township) is not necessarily an indication of its form of government. In New Jersey, the township form of government consists of a three to five-member township committee usually elected at-large in partisan elections. At its organization meeting, held after an election,
1435-584: The township government greater power), but this is not reflected in the township's name. In Ohio , a city or village is overlaid onto a township unless it withdraws by establishing a paper township . Where the paper township does not extend to the city limits, property owners pay taxes for both the township and municipality, though these overlaps are sometimes overlooked by mistake. Ten other states also allow townships and municipalities to overlap. In Kansas , some civil townships provide services such as road maintenance and fire protection services not provided by
1476-481: The township has a total area of 33.4 square miles (87 km), of which 32.7 square miles (85 km) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km) (1.98%) is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 3,782 people, 1,393 households, and 1,062 families residing in the township. The population density was 115.6 inhabitants per square mile (44.6/km). There were 1,475 housing units at an average density of 45.1 units per square mile (17.4 units/km). The racial makeup of
1517-475: The township some home rule powers similar to cities. In Wisconsin , civil townships are known as " towns " rather than townships, but they function essentially the same as in neighboring states. In Minnesota , state statute refers to such entities as towns yet requires them to have a name in the form " Name Township". In both documents and conversation, "town" and "township" are used interchangeably. Minnesota townships can be either Non-Urban or Urban (giving
1558-405: The township was 96.59% White , 0.63% African American , 0.56% Native American , 0.11% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.74% from other races , and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population. There were 1,393 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.7% were married couples living together, 8.6% had
1599-416: Was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males. The median income for a household in the township was $ 42,399, and the median income for a family was $ 50,219. Males had a median income of $ 39,031 versus $ 27,552 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 19,089. About 5.6% of families and 6.3% of the population were below
1640-453: Was introduced into the townships by settlers from New England in 1760 with the help of a provincial statute. However, the statute was disallowed by the King in 1761, and direct democracy was replaced in the townships that had adopted it by the quarter sessions. Acts in 1855 and 1856 provided for the incorporation of self-governing townships, but only Yarmouth partook in incorporating, and abandoned
1681-569: Was responsible to oversee the expenditure of revenue in between town meetings. The Township Act of 1899 abolished the town meeting and strengthened the role of the Township Committee, which was initially set at three and amended to allow for expansion to five members. Members were elected for staggered three-year terms. The Home Rule Act of 1917 legally defined the term "municipality" and recognized five types of government: borough , township, city , town , and village and granted each equal legal standing. The Township Act of 1989 simplified