Mich. Comp. Laws » Michigan Compiled Laws / Chapter 78 / Act 278 of 1909
Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 78.5 (2026)

Incorporation, consolidation or change of boundaries; affected district; referendum; authorizing vote.

✓ current as of July 2026
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THE HOME RULE VILLAGE ACT


Act 278 of 1909


78.5 Incorporation, consolidation or change of boundaries; affected district; referendum; authorizing vote.

Sec. 5.

    The district to be affected by every such proposed incorporation, consolidation or change of boundaries, shall be deemed to include the whole of each city, village, or township from which territory is to be taken or to which territory is to be annexed: Provided, however, That proposed incorporations, consolidations or changes of boundaries shall be submitted to the qualified electors residing within the territory proposed to be incorporated or residing within the village to which territory is to be annexed as the case may be, and also to the qualified electors of the city, village or township, from which the territory to be taken is located and at the election, when the said question is voted upon, the city, village or township shall conduct the election in such manner as to keep the votes of the qualified electors in the territory proposed to be incorporated or annexed or detached in a separate box from the one containing the votes from the remaining portions of such city, village, or township, and if the returns of said election shall show a majority of the votes cast in the district proposed to be incorporated or annexed, voting separately, to be in favor of the proposed incorporation or change of boundary as the case may be, and if a majority of the electors voting in the remainder of the district to be affected as herein defined, voting collectively, are in favor of the proposed incorporation or change of boundary as the case may be, then such territory shall become incorporated as a village or shall become a part of the corporate territory of the village or shall be detached therefrom, as the case may be: Provided further, That in case there are no qualified electors residing within the territory proposed to be detached, or annexed, if a majority of electors voting in the remainder of the district to be affected, as herein defined, are in favor of the proposed change of boundary, then such territory shall become a part of the corporate territory of the village or shall be detached therefrom, as the case may be: Provided further, That the question of incorporating a new village from territory located in a township or townships shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast at an election at which only the electors residing within the territory proposed to be incorporated shall vote.

History: 1909, Act 278, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909 ;-- CL 1915, 2847 ;-- Am. 1919, Act 395, Eff. Aug. 14, 1919 ;-- Am. 1925, Act 90, Eff. Aug. 27, 1925 ;-- Am. 1929, Act 251, Eff. Aug. 28, 1929 ;-- CL 1929, 1767 ;-- CL 1948, 78.5

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases, 1955–1986 · leading case: Shelby Charter Twp. v. State Boundary Comm'n, 387 N.W.2d 792 (Mich. 1986).
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Shelby Charter Twp. v. State Boundary Comm'n, 387 N.W.2d 792 (Mich. 1986). · cites it 2× “] Prior to 1970, all annexations had to be approved by the electors of the affected district, which was defined as "the whole of each city, village, or township from which territory is to be taken or to which territory is to be annexed,” MCL 78.5, 117.9; MSA 5.1515, 5.2088. A…”
Crawford v. Sch. Dist. No. 6, 70 N.W.2d 789 (Mich. 1955). · cites it 2× “1 (Stat Ann 1949 Rev § 5.1609), “a majority vote of the duly qualified electors of the territory proposed to be added * * * voting at a special election;” as to incorporation of villages, CL 1948, § 78.”
Vill. of Inkster v. Wayne Cnty. Supervisors, 108 N.W.2d 822 (Mich. 1961). “1512]) and 5 (CL 1948, § 78.5 [Stat Ann § 5.1515]) of the home-rule village act of 1909 and says that the only method by which part of an incorporated village may he separated from that village is by “detachment or annexation proceedings in accordance with the home-rule village…”
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