Michigan § 46.16c - Notice of date for election and question to be submitted; arrangement for election; form of ballot; election expenses; canvass; return of results; approval of consolidation by resolution; effective date; election of township board; termination of proceedings.

(1) The county clerk shall notify the clerk of each township affected by a consolidation petitioned for under section 16b of the date for the election and the question to be submitted. The date for the election on the issue of consolidation shall be set on or before May 1 in the year of a general November election. Each township clerk shall arrange for an election on the question of the proposed consolidation.

(2) The ballot to be used in an election for consolidation shall be substantially in the following form:

"For consolidation of the townships of __________ and __________ (naming each township) as the (charter) township of __________" (insert one of the following) (for a charter township) "that will be a municipal corporation subject to Act No. 359 of the Public Acts of 1947, being sections 42.1 to 42.34 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, which act will constitute the charter of the municipal corporation, and that will have an authorized millage rate of _______.

[ ] Yes

[ ] No"

or

(For a general law township with extra voted millage) "with extra voted millage of _______ mills for _______ years.

[ ] Yes

[ ] No"

(3) A township proposed for consolidation shall bear its own election expenses. The county board of canvassers shall canvass an election held under this section and shall return the results to the county board of commissioners.

(4) If a majority of the electors voting on the question in each township counted separately approve the consolidation, the county board of commissioners shall approve the consolidation by resolution. An approved consolidation is effective at 12 p.m. on November 20 following the election.

(5) In the resolution approving the consolidation, the county board of commissioners shall call an election of the township board for the consolidated township at the next August primary and November general elections, which elections replace the elections of the boards of the townships that are consolidated. The consolidated township board is composed of a supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and 2 or 4 trustees, as provided by law.

(6) If the consolidation is not approved by the electors in each township, the proceedings on the consolidation petition terminate.