Sec. 6.
Cities may be incorporated or territory detached therefrom or added thereto, or consolidation made of 2 or more cities or villages into 1 city, or of a city and 1 or more villages into 1 city, or of 1 or more cities or villages together with additional territory not included within any incorporated city or village into 1 city, by proceedings originating by petition therefor signed by qualified electors who are freeholders residing within the cities, villages, or townships to be affected thereby, to a number not less than 1% of the population of the territory affected thereby according to the last preceding United States census, or according to a census to be taken as hereinafter provided, which number shall be in no case less than 100, and not less than 10 of the signatures to such petition shall be obtained from each city, village, or township to be affected by the proposed change: Provided, That in the incorporation of a city from an existing village without change of boundaries the requisite number of signatures may be obtained from throughout the village without regard to the townships in which the signers are residents: Provided further, That as an alternate method in the case of an annexation proceeding in which there are less than 10 persons qualified to sign the petition living in that unincorporated territory of any township or townships proposed to be annexed to a city, that the signatures on the petition of persons, firms, corporations, the United States government, or the state or any of its subdivisions who collectively hold equitable title as vendees under a recorded land contract or memorandum of land contract, or record legal title to more than 1/2 of the area of the land exclusive of streets, in the territory to be annexed at the time of filing the petition, will suffice in lieu of obtaining 10 signatures from the township in which such area to be annexed lies: And provided further, That on such petition each signature shall be followed by a description of the land and the area represented thereby and a sworn statement shall also accompany such petition giving the total area of the land, exclusive of streets, lying within the area proposed to be annexed: Provided further, That before any signatures are obtained on a petition as hereinbefore provided, such petition shall have attached to it a map or drawing showing clearly the territory proposed to be incorporated, detached, or added, and each prospective signer shall be shown such map or drawing before signing the petition. Such petition shall be verified by the oath of 1 or more petitioners. The county clerk upon the presentment of a petition for incorporation of a new city for filing shall forthwith estimate all necessary expense that may be incurred by the county in the incorporation proceedings, and the clerk thereupon shall require that the sum so estimated, which in no case shall exceed $500.00, be deposited with the clerk and shall refuse to accept the petition for filing until the sum is so deposited: Provided, That in proceedings for the incorporation of a new city or the consolidation of 2 or more cities or villages into 1 city, or of a city and 1 or more villages into 1 city or of 1 or more cities or villages together with additional territory not included within any incorporated city or village into 1 city, a petition signed by not less than 100 qualified electors who are freeholders residing within the territory so proposed to be incorporated or consolidated, praying for the taking of a census of the inhabitants of the territory affected thereby, may be filed with the county clerk of the county within which said territory is located. The county clerk shall, within 5 days after the filing of such petition, certify to the mayor of each city, president of each village, and supervisor of each township affected thereby, and to the secretary of state that such petition has so been filed. Within 5 days after the service of such certificate, the secretary of state shall appoint an enumerator or enumerators to enumerate the inhabitants of each such city, village, and the portion of each township proposed to be so incorporated, or a consolidation made thereof. Before entering upon the duties of said office, each such enumerator shall take and subscribe to the constitutional oath of office before some officer authorized to administer oaths and file the same with the secretary of state and with the county clerk of the county in which such territory is located. It shall be the duty of each enumerator so appointed to enumerate all of the bona fide inhabitants of such city, village, or township, territory or portion thereof assigned to the enumerator by the secretary of state and to visit each house or dwelling and to obtain the names of each known resident thereof. The city, village, or township within which the services of the enumerator are rendered shall pay for such services together with any actual and necessary expenses incurred by the enumerator. The rate of pay and actual and necessary expenses of the enumerator shall be set by the governing body of the city, village, or township in which the census takes place. Upon completing such enumeration it shall be the duty of the persons so appointed to make a return in duplicate of such enumeration showing the names of the inhabitants of each such city, village, or township, territory or district to the county clerk and to the secretary of state. No such enumeration or census shall be conducted in any city, village or township, or portion thereof, within 2 years of the date of the last enumeration in such territory. Every such enumeration shall be conducted under the general supervision and control of the secretary of state who is hereby empowered to make rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act.
History: 1909, Act 279, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909 ;-- CL 1915, 3309 ;-- Am. 1919, Act 84, Eff. Aug. 14, 1919 ;-- CL 1929, 2242 ;-- Am. 1931, Act 314, Imd. Eff. June 16, 1931 ;-- Am. 1939, Act 231, Eff. Sept. 29, 1939 ;-- Am. 1947, Act 334, Eff. Oct. 11, 1947 ;-- CL 1948, 117.6 ;-- Am. 1956, Act 77, Eff. Aug. 11, 1956 ;-- Am. 1957, Act 210, Eff. Sept. 27, 1957 ;-- Am. 1984, Act 352, Eff. Mar. 29, 1985