Michigan Townships Association

2015 Township Focus Archive

January/February

This month’s cover story: Piecing together the grants puzzle

Additional articles include:

  • Legislature allows voters to solve road funding crisis (Local View)
  • Flurry of activity in marathon lame-duck legislative session (Inside Lansing)
  • Advice for handling difficult zoning decisions (Business Solutions)
  • Urban agriculture (Hello, MTA … ?)
  • E-filing income taxes (Financial Forum)

March

This month’s cover story: Linda Preston leads the Association in 2015

Additional articles include:

  • Talking townships and the May road funding ballot issue (Local View)
  • A look back at MTA’s 2015 Conference & Expo 
  • Coordinated planning for community placemaking (Business Solutions)
  • Transferring money from general fund (Financial Forum)
  • Construction boards of appeal (Hello, MTA … ?)

april

This month’s cover story: Assessing your township’s assessing

Additional articles include:

  • What’s your township’s mission? (Local View)
  • Why townships should support Proposal 1 to fix our roads (Feature)
  • Clinton Charter Township tops 100,000 residents (Feature)
  • Budgeting process (Financial Forum)
  • Small parcel personal property tax (Hello, MTA … ?)

may

This month’s cover story: Navigating township’ role in roads

Additional articles include:

  • Good roads now in the hands of voters (Local View)
  • Workgroup recommends local control over backyard agriculture (Feature)
  • TGA grad: ‘We are stewards of our township’s future’ (Best Practices)
  • Competitive bidding (Hello, MTA…?)
  • Paying online for software updates (Financial Forum)

june

This month’s cover story: Connecting with your community

Additional articles include:

  • How does MTA choose legislative issues, positions & strategies? (Local View)
  • Local partnership launches world-class archery facility (Feature)
  • Sweeping FOIA changes go into effect July 1
  • Employee dishonesty coverage form (Hello, MTA…?)
  • Voluntary withholdings (Financial Forum)

july

This month’s cover story: Creating healthy communities

Additional articles include:

  • Michigan scores low in local government autonomy (Local View)
  • Census shows Michigan residents are moving to townships (News & Notes)
  • What townships need to know about invasive species (Feature)
  • Government pension offset provision (Financial Forum)
  • Developing land to expand cemetery (Hello, MTA…?)

aUGUST

This month’s cover story: The state of recycling in Michigan

Additional articles include:

  • Oversight of township operations is an essential leadership function (Local View)
  • February elections are now a thing of the past
  • MTA services spotlight: Community Connection
  • Sales taxes on purchases (Financial Forum)

September

This month’s cover story: Making friends with the media

Additional articles include:

  • Questions all boards should ask their department heads (Local View)
  • Township fire officials proud to be part of new 9/11 memorial (Feature)
  • Inspiring tomorrow’s local leaders (Feature)
  • Deferred compensation plans (Financial Forum)
  • Township board members hired as township employees (Hello, MTA…?)

October

This month’s cover story: Reaching out: Civic Engagement at the local level

Additional articles include:

  • What township boards need to know about internal controls (Local View)
  • Trustee discovers long-forgotten township cemetery (Feature)
  • MTA Member Information Services Liaison Jim Beelen retires (Feature)
  • Protecting investments and cash positions (Financial Forum)
  • Audit detects material deficiencies (Hello, MTA…?)

November

This month’s cover story: In the dark: Unfair assessing theory costs local millions

Additional articles include:

  • Archaic state laws sow confusion for townships (Local View)
  • Southeast Michigan township site of significant prehistoric discovery (News & Notes)
  • Remembering long-time MTA Legal Counsel John Bauckham (Feature)
  • Disclosure requirements for property tax abatements (Financial Forum)
  • Conflicts with scheduled date for board meeting (Hello, MTA…?)

December

This month’s cover story: 21st -CENTURY TOWNSHIPS need 21st -century laws

Additional articles include:

  • Road plan half a loaf, but better than nothing (Local View)
  • REthinking change (Feature)
  • Examining the Affordable Care Act (Feature)
  • Budget questions (Financial Forum)
  • METRO Act and DAS/wireless communication antennas (Hello, MTA…?)