City officials usually are nonpartisan. All cities have their elections at the same time. Villages always have a charter. Villages rarely have professional managers. Villages do not have to provide police or fire protection.
Villages elect a president instead of a mayor.
Villages conduct state elections for their residents. The impetus for home rule for townships is to obtain some protection against being annexed by adjacent cities. If charter status is achieved by resolution, the authority to tax property is restricted to the amount levied on the date the resolution is adopted. Cities All of Michigan's 273 cities are organized as home rule units. This structure often is found in smaller cities where the mayor is a council member and elected to the mayoralty by fellow council members.