Election on question of intent to incorporate or consolidate; electors as members of charter commission; notice; preparation, form, and contents of ballot; expenses; procedure; canvass; certification of election; oath; vacancies; quorum; convening of charter commission; framing charter; conducting business at public meeting; notice of meeting; officers; rules; journal; roll call; nomination of candidates; holding election; publication of proposed charter; publishing and posting notice of election; polling places; canvassing results.
MCL 117.15
in effect117.15. Election on question of intent to incorporate or consolidate; electors as members of charter commission; notice; preparation, form, and contents of ballot; expenses; procedure; canvass; certification of election; oath; vacancies; quorum; convening of charter commission; framing charter; conducting business at public meeting; notice of meeting; officers; rules; journal; roll call; nomination of candidates; holding election; publication of proposed charter; publishing and posting notice of election; polling places; canvassing results.
Sec. 15.
(1) At an election on the question of the intent to incorporate a new city, or to make a consolidation permitted by this act, each elector residing within its proposed territorial limits shall be entitled to vote for 9 electors, residing in the territory which it is proposed to incorporate or consolidate, as members of a charter commission, and the notices required by section 10 shall include notice of the election of those electors. The ballot shall be prepared by the clerk of the county in which the territory is located or if located in more than 1 county, then by the clerk of the county in which the greater portion of the territory is located. The expense of the ballot preparation is to be borne by that county. If the proposed city is incorporated as provided in this act, the county shall be reimbursed by the city at the time the charter is filed. The county clerk shall prepare the ballot to be used at the election pursuant to the general election laws of the state as follows:
For city incorporation. Yes( )
For city incorporation. No ( )
Or, if the proposition be to consolidate, the ballot shall be as follows:
For consolidating (naming entities) into 1 city. Yes( )
For consolidating (naming entities) into 1 city. No ( )
(2) The county clerk shall also prepare a separate ballot and place on the ballot, without party designation, under the heading, candidates for members of the charter commission, the names of the electors having the qualifications required by this act for a member of the charter commission, who file a petition signed by 20 qualified electors residing in the territory proposed to be incorporated, asking that their names be placed on the ballot. For a consolidation, the electors of each city, village, township, or part of a township, proposed to be consolidated shall vote for and elect the number of the 9 members of the charter commission as shall be substantially in proportion to the number of registered electors of the city, village, township, or part of a township, according to the registration rolls of the last regular state, city, or village election held in the city, village, township, or part of a township, but the number to be elected in a city, village, or township shall not be less than 1. The county board of commissioners or the secretary of state shall determine and prescribe the number of members of the charter commission to be elected from each city, village, township, or part of a township in the case of a consolidation, pursuant to this subsection. The position of the names of the candidates upon the ballots shall be interchanged as provided in the general primary election law of this state. The ballot shall also bear instructions directing that not more than 9 candidates shall be voted for or, if the proposition is to consolidate, the ballot for members of the charter commission in each city, village, township, or part of a township, proposed to be consolidated shall bear instructions directing that not more than the number of candidates determined by the county board of commissioners or the secretary of state to be elected in the city, village, township, or part of a township shall be voted for. On the vote being canvassed on the question of the intent to incorporate or consolidate, if the result is determined to be in favor of the intent to incorporate or consolidate, the board of canvassers shall canvass the votes cast for members of the commission, and certify the election of the 9 persons receiving the highest number of votes cast. The elected members of the commission shall take the constitutional oath of office, and may fill vacancies in their membership. Five members shall constitute a quorum.
(3) The charter commission shall convene within 10 days after election and frame a charter for the proposed city within 90 days after the meeting. The business which the charter commission may perform shall be conducted at a public meeting of the commission held in compliance with Act No. 267 of the Public Acts of 1976. Notice of the time, place, and date of the meeting shall be given in the manner required by Act No. 267 of the Public Acts of 1976. The charter commission shall choose its own officers, determine the rules of its proceedings and keep a journal. A roll call of its members on a question shall be entered on the journal at the request of any member. The commission shall provide the manner of nominating the candidates for the first elective officers provided in the proposed charter. The commission shall fix the date of the first city election, and do and provide other things necessary for making the nominations and holding the election. The election may be held at a special election or on the same date as a general election. The commission shall publish the proposed charter in 1 or more newspapers published in the proposed city, at least once, not less than 2 weeks and not more than 4 weeks preceding the election, together with a notice of the election, and that on the date fixed for the election the question of adopting the proposed charter will be voted on, and that the elective officers provided for in the charter will be elected on the same date. Notice of the election shall also be posted in at least 10 public places within the proposed city not less than 10 days before the election. The commission shall provide for 1 or more polling places for the election, and give similar notice of their location as is given of the election, and shall appoint the inspectors of the election. The results of the election shall be canvassed by the county board of canvassers.
1909, Act 279, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909; CL 1915, 3318; CL 1929, 2251; CL 1948, 117.15; Am. 1956, Act 77, Eff. Aug. 11, 1956; Am. 1965, Act 378, Imd. Eff. July 23, 1965; Am. 1966, Act 246, Eff. July 11, 1966; Am. 1977, Act 204, Imd. Eff. Nov. 17, 1977
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-117-15Fetched: 10/20/2026