A primary motivation for townships to adopt the charter form is to provide greater protection against annexation by a city. The state of Michigan currently contains 1,242 townships, which vary considerably in geographical size and population. Based on the 1990 U.S. Census, the township population in Michigan varies from 15 to in excess of 85,500 people. The township board may also hire a manager, assessor, a police or fire chief, superintendent and other necessary personnel to properly and efficiently operate the township. State laws authorize townships to perform a wide variety of functions in two important categories.
Mandated functions are activities that townships are required to perform.
The three broadest mandated responsibilities are assessment administration, elections administration and tax collection, which are legally assigned functions of the supervisor, clerk and treasurer, respectively. State laws also spell out the details for performing these functions. In addition to these broad mandates, there are other, more narrow state requirements. The township's financial administration, including budgets, accounting, investments and deposits, is closely regulated by the state. Township meetings must also comply with Michigan's Open Meetings Act, and township records must be stored and made available in conformance with specific laws, such as the Freedom of Information Act.