A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both, the boundaries often coincide. The U.S. Census Bureau classifies civil townships (called "towns" in New England, New York and Wisconsin) as minor civil divisions.
Township functions are generally attended to by a governing board (the name varies from state to state) and a clerk or trustee. Township officers frequently include justice of the peace, road commissioner, assessor, constable, and surveyor. In the 20th century many townships also added a township administrator or supervisor to the officers as an executive for the board. In some cases townships run local libraries, senior citizen services, youth services, disabled citizen services, emergency assistance, and even cemetery services.
Contents |
Most western states have only survey townships, so that all local government outside of incorporated municipalities is performed at the county level.
In the Upper Midwestern states near the Great Lakes, civil townships (known in Michigan as general law townships[1]) are often, but not always, overlaid on the 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, Illinois townships in the northern part of the state are active in providing public services — such as road maintenance, after-school care, and senior services — whereas townships in southern Illinois frequently abandon these services in favor of the county. In contrast, civil townships in Indiana are operated in a relatively consistent manner state-wide and tend to be well organized, with each served by a township trustee and a three-member board. 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.
Civil townships in these states are generally not considered to be incorporated, and nearby cities may annex land in adjoining townships with relative ease. In Michigan, general law townships can incorporate as charter townships, a status intended to protect against annexation from nearby municipalities and which grants the township some home rule powers similar to cities. In Wisconsin, such regions are known as "towns" rather than townships, but they are essentially the same thing. 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 the township government greater power), but this is not reflected in the township's name.[2] Ohio law includes a provision by which land may exist dually within a city (or village) and township;[3] in such cases, property owners pay taxes for both the township and municipality.[4] Ten other states also allow townships and municipalities to overlap.[5]
See also:Political subdivisions of Wisconsin
A Pennsylvania township is a unit of local government, responsible for services such as local road and street maintenance outside of cities or boroughs. Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to forty square miles (10–74 km²). New Jersey township is a form of municipal government equal in status to a village, town, borough, or city.
In New England and New York, counties are further subdivided into towns and cities, the principal forms of local government. These states use the term town, instead of township. The settlement patterns of these towns are more like civil townships than "towns" as that term is generally understood in most of the United States. However, New England and New York towns are incorporated municipalities. Some residents of these states do not generally recognize the word "township" as applying to their local governments, although the U.S. Census Bureau treats them identically. (Even though towns in these states are legally equal to cities in status, the Census is more concerned with patterns of settlement and development than the means of government; New England and New York towns are similar to townships in the northern Midwest in typically having one or more small built-up central districts surrounded by a much larger area of less intensive development. However, cities in New England may have this development pattern as well.) In sparsely settled portions of New Hampshire, Vermont and, especially, Maine, county subdivisions that are not incorporated are referred to as townships, or by other terms such as 'gore,' 'grant,' 'location,' 'plantation', or 'purchase.'
See also: Political subdivisions of New York
In the South, outside of cities and towns there is generally no local government other than the county.
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 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 (i.e. "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 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, 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 of 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 is no government per se at the township level in North Carolina, and there are no elected or appointed offices associated with townships.
Survey townships exist in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both, the boundaries often coincide. The U.S. Census Bureau classifies civil townships (called "towns" in some states) as minor civil divisions.
Township functions are generally attended to by a governing board (the name varies from state to state) and a clerk. Township officers frequently include justice of the peace, road commissioner, assessor, constable, and surveyor. In the 20th century many townships also added a township administrator or supervisor to the officers as an executive for the board. In some cases townships run local libraries, senior citizen services, youth services, disabled citizen services, emergency assistance, and even cemetery services.
Contents |
Most western states have only survey townships, such that all local government outside of incorporated municipalities is performed at the county level.
In the Upper Midwestern states near the Great Lakes, civil townships (known in Michigan as general law townships[1]) are overlaid on the 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, in Illinois townships in the northern part of the state are active in providing public services -- such as road maintenance, after-school care, and senior services -- whereas townships in southern Illinois frequently abandon these services in favor of 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.
Civil townships in these states are generally not considered to be incorporated, and nearby cities may annex land in adjoining townships with relative ease. In Michigan, general law townships can incorporate as charter townships, a status intended to protect against annexation from nearby municipalities and which grants the township some home rule powers similar to cities. In Wisconsin, such regions are known as "towns" rather than townships, but they are essentially the same thing. 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 the township government greater power), but this is not reflected in the township's name.
See also:Political subdivisions of Wisconsin
A Pennsylvania township is a unit of local government, responsible for services such as local road and street maintenance outside of cities or boroughs. Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to forty square miles (10–74 km²). New Jersey township is a form of municipal government equal in status to a village, town, borough, or city.
In New England and New York, counties are further subdivided into towns and cities, the principal forms of local government. Some residents of these states do not generally recognize the word "township" as applying to their local governments, although the U.S. Census Bureau treats them identically. (Even though towns in these states are legally equal to cities in status, the Census is more concerned with patterns of settlement and development than the means of government; New England and New York towns are similar to townships in the northern Midwest in typically having one or more small built-up central districts surrounded by a much larger area of less intensive development. However, cities in New England may have this development pattern as well.) In sparsely settled portions of Maine and New Hampshire, county subdivisions that are not incorporated are referred to as townships.
In the South, outside of cities and towns there is generally no local government beyond the county. As these states were surveyed prior to the Northwest Ordinance, there are generally no survey townships, either, although there are in Alabama, as Alabama Territory was relatively late in being established.
North Carolina is an exception to this rule, and even the towns have townships due to extraterritorial jurisdiction. Numerous independent townships also exist, as every county 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 (i.e. "Township 12") rather than using their real names. Townships all over the state used to have some official organization and duties, but now are only considered ceremonial divisions of each county, used on land surveys and other real estate documents.
Contemporary
Amt · Arrondissement · Bailiwick · Banner · Autonomous banner · Barangay · Bairro · Barrio · Bezirk / Regierungsbezirk · Block · Borough · County borough · Metropolitan borough · Capital · Federal capital · Canton · Census division · Census geographic unit · Census metropolitan area · Census subdivision · Circle · Circuit · City · Autonomous city · Independent city · Co-Principality · Colony · Comarca · Commonwealth · Commune · Community · Autonomous community · Residential community · Condominium · Constituency · County · Administrative county · Autonomous county · Metropolitan county · Council · Croft · Department · Dependent territory · Federal dependency · District · Autonomous district · Capital district · City district · Federal district · Metropolitan district · Municipal district · Division · Duchy · Freguesia · Governorate · Hamlet · Insular area · Judeţ · Local administrative unit · Local government area · Municipality · District municipality · Regional municipality · Regional county municipality · Rural municipality · Neighbourhood · Oblast · Okrug · Parish · Civil parish · Periphery · Prefecture · Autonomous prefecture · Principality · Protectorate · Province · Autonomous province · Quarter · Regency · Region · Autonomous region · Capital region · Special administrative region · Republic · Autonomous republic · Ranchería · Reservation · Indian reserve · Shire · State · Subdistrict · Subprefecture · Suzerainty · Territory · Autonomous territorial unit · Capital territory · National territory · Town · Townland · Township · Civil township · Urban (urbanized) area · Village · Vingtaine · Voivodeship · Ward
Historical
Agency · Barony · Burgh · Cantref · Commote · Free Imperial City · Hundred · Imperial Circle · Imperial province · Presidency · Residency · Riding · Road district · Rural district · Sanitary district (rural · urban) · Urban district
Boldface indicates a type used by ten or more countries; loanwords in italics.
| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Civil township. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
   | National Association of Towns and Townships - NATAT National Association of Towns and Townships Home Page |
| | What is a Township? - What is a Township? |
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
