-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE:      [MAPS-L] Townships as "non-local" entities
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 12:22:22 -0500
From: Overberg, Paul <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>

MI townships are different from PA townships. In PA, they are fully
functioning local governments, just like boroughs and cities.

http://www.psats.org/about_townships.html

The real State College, Pa., is a borough and does not overlap adjoining
townships:
http://www.statecollegepa.us/

http://ftp2.census.gov/plmap/pl_trt/st42_Pennsylvania/c42027_Centre/CT42
027_000.pdf

There is a locally known but unofficial area called "State College" that
includes the borough and part of adjoining Ferguson Township. Lemont is
a similar, unofficial area.

The strong local government system is characteristic of 12 states from
New England to NJ. to Wisc. In NJ, which I know best, townships are the
"mother" governments from which all others were formed. Many were
chartered by George II or III.

MI is one of another group of states -- many formed by the Northwest
Ordinance -- where townships may have very limited powers.

The Census Bureau calls all of these things "minor civil divisions:"

http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/glossry2.pdf, p. 14

Paul Overberg
USA TODAY


-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Maps-L
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 9:47 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MAPS-L] Townships as "non-local" entities

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: Townships as "non-local" entities
Date:   Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:39:58 -0500
From:   Paige Andrew <[log in to unmask]>
To:     Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum
<[log in to unmask]>




Kathleen,

Good question and thanks to Tim for the information. Here in
Pennsylvania we have a whole cadre of unique but overlapping
governmental creatures such as townships and boroughs on top of cities
and towns. I live in College Township, and there are I believe four
other boroughs and townships in the immediate area that don't overlap
boundaries between them, but portions of each do overlap boundaries with
the city of State College. The "village" I live in, Lemont, exists
wholly within College Township. After more than 12 years of living in
this area I still find things somewhat convoluted -- and as one can
imagine the taxing stucture and entities are NOT fun at all!

Sincerely,

Paige

p.s. I find our Townships and Boroughs to be about as "local" as they
get!

At 09:24 AM 2/27/2007, you wrote:
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Townships as "non-local" entities
> Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:06:41 -0500
> From: Weessies, Kathleen <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
> In LCRI 23.2 under section 5 townships are categorized as a non-local
> jurisdiction.  I found this a strange designation.  In Michigan the
> 1200-odd township-level governments along with City and County
> governments are generally referred to as "local governments".
>
> Tim Watters of Library of Michigan investigated and found:
> .. Here's my guess about why townships are called non-local
> jurisdictions (from a Citizens Research Council Report): "Townships
> were organized without resident input, as geographical entities
> created by a congressional survey under the Northwest Ordinance of
> 1787. Cities are creatures of citizen involvement, creating new units
> of government to meet their needs for higher levels of services ... In

> summary, the powers and limitations of a home rule city are defined in

> a city charter framed and approved by a vote of the city's electors.
> Conversely, the powers and limitations of the township are
> specifically defined in numerous state statutes, which impose a number

> of restrictions on the power of townships to perform services."  So
> maybe the townships are "nonlocal" because the locals didn't create
> them?
> ************************************
>
> LCRI text:
> 5. U.S. Townships. For U.S. townships (called "towns" in some states)
> that encompass one or more local communities and the surrounding
> territory, do not include the term "township" or "town" as part of the

> name. Instead, add the term after the name of the state.
>
> Examples < http://www.itsmarc.com/crs/LCRI1127.htm>
>
> These non-local jurisdictions are called "townships" in Arkansas,
> California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
> Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio,
> Pennsylvania, and South Dakota; they are called "towns" in
> Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode
> Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. If there is more than one township
> with the same name in the same state, apply LCRI 23.4F1 <
> http://www.itsmarc.com/crs/LCRI0314.htm> .
>
> Note: For the period 1980-1990, the term "Township" or "Town" was
> added only if the name conflicted. Change existing headings for U.S.
> townships lacking the term "Township" or "Town" when the headings are
> needed for post-1990 cataloging.
>
>
>
>
> Kathleen Weessies
> Geography/Maps/Geology Librarian
> Michigan State University
> 100 Library W308
> East Lansing, MI 48824
> (517)432-6123 x250
> [log in to unmask]