Incorporation; revision of charter, procedure, commission, advisory vote; incorporation of provision in original charter granted by legislature.
MCL 117.18
in effect117.18. Incorporation; revision of charter, procedure, commission, advisory vote; incorporation of provision in original charter granted by legislature.
Sec. 18.
Any city desiring to revise its charter shall do so in the following manner, unless otherwise provided by charter; when its legislative body shall by a 3/5 vote of the members elect declare for a general revision of the charter, or when an initiatory petition shall be presented therefor as provided in section 25, the question of having a general charter revision shall be submitted to the electors for adoption or rejection at the next general or municipal election, or at a special election. In case the electors shall, by a majority vote, declare in favor of such revision, a charter commission shall be elected within 60 days consisting of 9 electors of such city having a residence of at least 3 years in the municipality, or the legislative body by a 3/5 vote of the members elect or the initiatory petition may provide that the charter commission be selected at the same election at which the proposition to revise is submitted; the selection shall be void if the proposition to revise is not adopted. No city officer or employee, whether elected or appointed, shall be eligible to a place on the commission.
In the cities where provision is made by the city charter for the nonpartisan elections of city officers, the method prescribed for such elections shall apply in the election of charter commissioners. Where no such provision is made by the charter of such city, candidates shall be nominated by petition without reference to or designation of party affiliation, signed by a number of qualified electors of such city equal to not less than 2% and not more than 4% of the total vote cast for the chief executive office, or the highest vote cast for any commissioner in cities having the commission form of government, of such city at the last preceding election, asking that the name of the candidate designated be placed upon the ballot. The names of all candidates so nominated shall be placed upon a separate ballot at the election designated to be held for the election of a charter commission and without their party affiliations designated; the 9 candidates having the greatest number of votes shall be declared elected; the election of the members of such commission, except as herein specified, shall be conducted as near as may be as now provided by law for the election of city officers in the respective cities of this state unless special methods shall be otherwise provided in the charter of such city.
If the proposed revised charter is rejected by the electors of the city, the charter revision commission shall immediately reconvene and determine whether to take no further action, in which case it shall terminate and cease to exist, or whether to provide a revision of, or amendments to, the revised charter previously prepared by the commission. The proposed revised charter with amendments shall be resubmitted to the qualified electors of the city in the same manner and with like notice and proceedings as required in the first instance. A proposed revised charter, as originally submitted or resubmitted with amendments, shall be submitted not to exceed 3 times to the qualified electors of the city. If the charter is rejected 3 times, or if no revised charter is adopted during 3 years following the adoption of the proposition to revise, then the charter revision commission shall terminate and cease to exist. A new proposal to revise may be adopted at any time after termination of a charter revision commission.
When the question of having a general revision of the charter shall be submitted to the electors of any city, the legislative body of such city or the initiative petitions may provide for the submission with such question for an advisory vote of the question of a change in the form of government of such city, or the question of continuing any power, limitation or provision granted to such city in a charter granted or passed by the legislature for the government thereof. When such advisory vote is requested in an initiatory petition, such question shall be submitted as hereinbefore provided. In the revision of the charter of any city, any power, limitation or provision granted to such city in any charter granted or passed by the legislature for the government of such city and contained in the charter to be revised may be included in such revised charter, and when so included, such power, limitation, or the effect of any such provision shall continue with the same force and effect as when granted or passed by the legislature in the first instance.
1909, Act 279, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909; Am. 1911, Act 203, Eff. Aug. 1, 1911; Am. 1913, Act 5, Imd. Eff. Mar. 11, 1913; CL 1915, 3321; Am. 1917, Act 6, Imd. Eff. Mar. 9, 1917; CL 1929, 2254; Am. 1941, Act 86, Eff. Jan. 10, 1942; CL 1948, 117.18; Am. 1966, Act 246, Imd. Eff. July 11, 1966
[Compiler] Act 203 of 1911, which amended this section, was held unconstitutional and void. See note to MCL 117.1.
[Compiler] The 1911 amendment reads as follows: “Sec. 18. Any city desiring to revise its charter shall do so in the following manner, unless otherwise provided by charter: When its legislative body shall by a two-thirds vote of the members-elect declare for a general revision of the charter, or when an initiatory petition shall be presented therefor, as provided in section twenty-five of this act, the question of having a general charter revision shall be submitted to the electors for adoption or rejection at the next general or municipal election, or at a special election in case the electors shall, by a majority vote, declare in favor of such a revision, a charter commission shall be selected within sixty days consisting of one elector from each ward and three electors at large, having a residence of at least three years in the municipality, or the legislative body by a two-thirds vote of the members-elect or the initiatory petition may provide that the charter commission be selected at the same election at which the proposition to revise is submitted; the selection shall be void if the proposition to revise is not adopted; no city officer or employee, whether elected or appointed, shall be eligible to a place on said commission. The names of all candidates who have been duly nominated as hereinafter provided shall be placed upon a separate ballot at the election designated to be held for the election of a charter commission and without their party affiliations designated; the candidate having the greatest number of votes in each ward shall be declared elected and the three candidates at large having the greatest number of votes cast in the city shall be declared elected; the nomination and election of the members of such commission, except as herein specified, shall be conducted as near as may be as now provided by law for the nomination and election of city and ward officers in the respective cities of this State.”
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-117-18Fetched: 10/20/2026