Incorporation, detachment or addition of territory, or consolidation; petition; signatures; incorporation of summer resort association; proceedings; certification; appointment, oath, duties, and compensation of enumerators; sworn statement; “qualified electors” defined.
MCL 78.2
in effect78.2. Incorporation, detachment or addition of territory, or consolidation; petition; signatures; incorporation of summer resort association; proceedings; certification; appointment, oath, duties, and compensation of enumerators; sworn statement; “qualified electors” defined.
Sec. 2.
Villages may be incorporated or territory detached therefrom or added thereto, or consolidation made of 2 or more villages into 1 village by proceedings originating by petition therefor signed by qualified electors residing within the cities, villages, or townships to be affected thereby, to a number not less than 1% of the population of the territory affected thereby according to the last preceding United States census, which number shall in no case be less than 100. If all or any part of the district proposed to be incorporated, annexed, or detached has been subdivided into 1 or more subdivisions, the plat or plats of which have been recorded in the register of deeds' office of the proper county, the petition therefor shall be signed by qualified electors residing within each such subdivision and by qualified electors residing within the unsubdivided portion, if any, of such district to a number in each case of not less than 1% of the population of each such subdivision and of such unsubdivided portion of such district, such population to be determined as of the date on which the first signature to such petition shall be obtained. If there are no qualified electors residing within the district proposed to be annexed or detached, or within a subdivided or unsubdivided portion of such a district then such petition shall be signed by persons who collectively hold equitable title as vendees under a recorded land contract or memorandum of land contract, or record legal title to more than 1/2 the area of the land, exclusive of streets, lying within such district, or subdivided portion of such district, at the time the first signature to such petition is obtained, and also by qualified electors in the remainder of the district to be affected by such annexation or detachment, to the number hereinbefore provided. If a summer resort association has been incorporated and has existed for 2 consecutive years under Act No. 230 of the Public Acts of 1897, as amended, being sections 455.1 to 455.24 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, and such association having a number of legal voters of not less than 30 residing within such territory, the same may be incorporated as a village as hereinafter provided. Signatures of land owners as above provided shall be followed by a description of the land and area thereof. In proceedings for the incorporation of a new village or the consolidation of 2 or more villages into 1 village, a petition signed by not less than 20 qualified electors who are freeholders residing within the territory proposed to be incorporated or consolidated, praying for the taking of a census of the inhabitants of the territory affected thereby, may be filed with the county clerk of the county in which the territory is located. The county clerk within 5 days after the filing of the petition shall certify to the president of each village and supervisor of each township affected thereby, and to the secretary of state, that the petition has been so filed. Within 5 days after the service of the certificate, the secretary of state shall appoint enumerators to enumerate the inhabitants of each village proposed to be incorporated, or a consolidation made thereof. Before entering upon the duties of office, each enumerator shall take and subscribe to the constitutional oath of office before some officer authorized to administer oaths and file the same with the secretary of state and with the county clerk in which the territory is located. Each enumerator shall enumerate all of the bona fide inhabitants of the village or township, territory or portion thereof assigned to the enumerator by the secretary of state, and shall visit each house or dwelling and obtain the names of each known resident thereof. Each enumerator shall receive for his or her services not to exceed $5.00 per day, together with actual and necessary expenses therefor, which sum shall be paid by the village or township within which the services of the enumerator were rendered. Upon completing the enumeration it shall be the duty of the persons so appointed to make a return in duplicate of the enumeration showing the names of the inhabitants of each village or township, territory or district to the county clerk and to the secretary of state. No enumeration or census shall be conducted in any village or township, or portion thereof, within 2 years of the date of the last enumeration in the territory. Every enumeration shall be conducted under the general supervision and control of the secretary of state who shall make rules and regulations in accordance with the the administrative procedures act of 1969, Act No. 306 of the Public Acts of 1969, being sections 24.201 to 24.315 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, for the purpose of carrying out this section. If a petition is signed by land owners in the case of a district which is proposed to be annexed or detached in which there are no qualified electors residing, as above provided, then a sworn statement shall also accompany such petition giving the total area of the land, exclusive of streets, included within such uninhabited district to be annexed or detached, or such subdivided or unsubdivided portion thereof. The term "qualified electors" as used in this section as applied to persons residing within unsubdivided portions of the district shall include only such electors who are owners of property assessed for taxes within the unsubdivided portions of the district.
1909, Act 278, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909; CL 1915, 2844; Am. 1927, Act 159, Imd. Eff. May 12, 1927; Am. 1929, Act 251, Eff. Aug. 28, 1929; CL 1929, 1764; Am. 1941, Act 291, Eff. Jan. 10, 1942; CL 1948, 78.2; Am. 1958, Act 140, Eff. Sept. 13, 1958; Am. 1984, Act 430, Eff. Mar. 29, 1985
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-78-2Fetched: 10/20/2026