We, the People of the City of Detroit, desiring to perfect a municipal government which shall more nearly conform to prevailing conditions and meet the growing needs of our city, insure a more efficient system for the administration of its affairs, secure the fullest measure of self-government conferred by the Constitution and laws of the State of Michigan, and promote as far as possible the peace, health, safety and welfare of its people, do ordain and establish this charter. TITLE I. INCORPORATION, POWERS, BOUNDARIES AND WARDS. Incorporation: CHAPTER I. Incorporation and Powers. Section 1. The inhabitants of the city of Detroit shall continue to be one body politic and corporate under the name and style of the "City of Detroit," and as such shall have, exercise and enjoy such powers as are conferred by the constitution and laws of the state of Michigan and this charter. Powers: Sec. 2. The powers of local government possessed by the city are divided into three departments, the legislative, executive and judicial, and no person or body belonging to one department shall exercise powers properly belonging to another, except in cases especially provided for in this charter. Corporate Limits: CHAPTER II. Boundaries. (In effect May 1, 1925) The corporate limits of the city shall include all those lands and parcels of lands in the county of Wayne, state of Michigan, within the following described boundaries: Beginning at the intersection of the national boundary line in the Detroit River (as adopted August 15, 1913, by the International Waterways Commission under Article IV of the treaty between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland signed April 11, 1908), with a line two hundred and thirtythree feet easterly from and parallel to the center line of the Alter Road; thence northwesterly on said parallel line to the center line of Mack Avenue; thence easterly on the center line of Mack Ave. to the center line of Cadieux Avenue; thence northwesterly along the center line of Cadieux Avenue to a point, said point being 1650 feet northerly of and at right angles to the center line of Mack Road, said point being on the line between Gratiot and Grosse Pointe Townships, thence northeasterly along said line being 1650 feet north of and parallel to the center line of Mack Road to a point in the westerly line of Private Claim 617; thence northwesterly along the west line of Private Claim 617 to a point on said line, said point being 200 feet southeasterly of and at right angles to the center line of Kelly Road; thence northeasterly along a line 200 feet south easterly of and parallel to the center line of Kelly Road to a point, on a line 200 feet north of and parallel to the center line of Seven Mile Road (extended); thence westerly along said line to the center line of Kelly Road; thence northeasterly along a line to the northerly line of Section 5, Town 1 South Range 13 East to a point, said point being the intersection of the center line of Eight Mile Road East and north line of Wayne County; thence westerly along the north line of Sections 5 and 6, Town 1 South Range 13 East, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, Town 1 South Range 12 East; Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to a point, said point being the northwest corner of said Section 6; thence southerly along the west line of Sections 6 and 7 to a point 200 feet north of the southerly line of Section 7; thence westerly along a line 200 feet north of and parallel to the southerly line of Section 12 (Six Mile Road West) to a point, said point being distant 25 feet east of the north and south quarter line of said Section 12, T. 1, S. R. 10 E.; thence north along a line 25 feet east of and parallel to the north and south quarter line of Section 12, T. 1 S. R. 10 E. to a point on the east and west quarter line of Section 12, T. 1 S. R. 10 E.; thence west along said line to a point 60 feet westerly of the east line of Oakfield Avenue; thence south along a line 60 feet westerly of and parallel to the east line of Oakfield Avenue, to a point, said point being 200 feet north of the south line of Section 12, T. 1 S. R. 10 E.; thence westerly along said line to a point on the west line of Section 12, T. 1 S. R. 10 E.; thence south along the west line of Sections 12, 13, 24 and 25, T. 1 S. R. 10 E. to a point on the north line of the Pere Marquette Railroad Company's right-of-way; thence westerly along the north line of the Pere Marquette Railroad right-of-way to a point 200 feet west of the north and south quarter line of Section 28, T. 1, S. R. 10 E.; thence south along a line 200 feet west of and parallel with the north and south quarter line of Sections 28 and 33, T. 1, S. R. 10 E. and of Section 4, T. 2, S. R. 10 E. to a point in the south line of Section 4; thence east along the south line of Sections 4 and 3 of T. 2, S. R. 10 E. to the center line of Greusel Avenue; thence south along the center line of Greusel Avenue to the center line of Ellis Avenue; thence east along the center line of Ellis Avenue to the center line of Evergreen Road; thence south along the center line of Evergreen Road to its intersection with the northerly line of Private Claims 317 and 318, T. 2, S. R. 10 E.; thence northeasterly along the northerly line of said Private Claims 317 and 318 to the northeasterly corner of said Private Claims 317 and 318; thence southerly along the easterly line of said Private Claims 317 and 318 to its intersection with the south line of Section 11, T. 2, S. R. 10 E.; thence east along the southern line of said Section 11 to the southeast corner of said Section 11; thence north along the east line of said Section 11 to the east and west quarter line of Section 12, T. 2, S. R. 10 E.; thence east along the east and west quarter line of said Section 12 to the westerly boundary line of the City of Springwells, being the easterly line of Section 12, T. 2, S. R. 10 E.; thence north along the easterly line of Sections 12, 1, 36 and 25 (being the center line of Townline or Division Road) to a point on the northerly line of the Pere Marquette Railroad right-of-way; thence easterly along said line of the Pere Marquette Railroad right-of-way to a point, said point being 200 feet east of and parallel to the north and south quarter line of Section 29, T. 1, S. R. 11 E. (Meyer Road); thence southerly on a line 200 feet east of and parallel to the north and south quarter line of Sections 29 and 32 of T. 1, S. R. 11 E., and of Section 5 of T. 2, S. R. 11 E. to a point in the east and west quarter line of said Section 5 (the center line of Tireman Avenue), thence easterly along the east and west quarter line of said Sections 5 and 4 to the east line of the Detroit Terminal Railway Company's right-of-way; thence southerly and westerly along the east line of the Detroit Terminal Railway Company's right-of-way to a point in the west line of Section 9, Town 2, south, range 11 East (the center line of Wyoming Avenue); thence southerly along the west line of Sections 9 and 16 to a point one hundred thirty feet south of (at right angles to) the south line of Michigan Avenue; thence easterly on a line one hundred thirty feet south of and parallel to the south line of Michigan Avenue to a point in the west line of Private Claim No. 40; thence southeasterly along the west line of Private Claim No. 40 to the north bank of the Baby Creek so-called; thence westerly and southerly following the north bank of the Baby Creek to its intersection with the center of the River Rouge; thence upstream northwesterly along the center of the River Rouge to the center line of Dearborn Road produced; thence southeasterly along the center line of Dearborn Road to a line between Private Claims 50 and 524; thence southerly along a line between Private Claims 50 and 524 to the center line of Pepper Road; thence southeasterly along said center line of Pepper Road to a line between private claims 75 and 455; thence northerly along said line between Private Claims 75 and 455 to the center of River Rouge; thence down-stream along the center of the River Rouge to the national boundary line above described; thence easterly along said national boundary line to the place of beginning; excepting from the above description the City of Hamtramck and the City of Highland Park. Wards Continued: CHAPTER III. Section 1. The wards of the city as existing at the time of the adoption of this charter shall continue as wards of the city hereunder, with such alterations as shall from time to time be made by the common council as herein provided. Such wards shall exist for the purpose of the election of constables (but for the election of no other officer of the city) and for such other purposes as may be necessary under the laws of the state and this charter. Change of Ward Boundaries; New Wards: Sec. 2. The common council shall have the power by ordinance from time to time, to increase the number of wards in the city, to change the boundaries of existing wards and to increase or decrease the territory of any of the wards as now established by attaching a portion thereof to an adjoining ward. In the event that the territorial limits of said city shall be extended by annexation or otherwise, the council shall by ordinance provide ward boundaries as recommended by the board of assessors for such newly annexed territory by the creation of a new ward or wards or by attaching such territory or any part thereof to an adjoining ward or wards. 8 TITLE II. REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS-ELECTIONS-ELECTION COMMISSION. CHAPTER I. Registration and Re-Registration. Governed by General Law: Section 1. The registration and re-registration of the qualified electors of the city shall be conducted and the duties of the various officers connected therewith shall be performed in accordance with the provisions of the general laws of the state and this charter. CHAPTER II. Regular and Special Elections: Sec. 1. A general city election shall be held on the First Tuesday after the first Monday in November in the year 1918. A general city election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in the year 1921 and every second year thereafter. Such other elections shall be held as may be required by law. Special city elections for filling vacancies in office may be called by appropriate resolution of the Common Council at least sixty days prior to the date of such election, and shall be conducted and returns canvassed as nearly as may be in the same manner as regular municipal elections. Special elections for the submission of amendments to the city charter and propositions and questions may be called by resolution of the Common Council at least thirty days before the date of holding such election. (As amended April 6, 1925. In effect April 14, 1925.) Non-Partisan Primary: Sec. 2. Candidates for all offices to be voted for at any municipal election under the provisions of this charter shall be nominated at a nonpartisan primary election to be held on the fourth Tuesday prior to such municipal election if in the fall of the year, and on such date prior to the spring election as may be fixed by law for holding state primaries, except that for the first municipal election hereunder a non-partisan primary election shall be held on the last Tuesday in August, 1918. Special nonpartisan primary elections to nominate candidates for elections to fill vacancies in city offices shall be called at least twenty days prior to the date of holding such special election, and shall be conducted in the same manner as are regular non-partisan primary elections. (As amended April 6, 1925. In effect April 14, 1925.) Nominating Petitions: Sec. 3. No candidate's name shall be placed upon primary election ballots for nomination for any city office unless there shall be filed with the city clerk nominating petitions containing the signatures of duly qual ified electors equal in number to not less than two per cent or more than four per cent of the total number of registered voters within the city, or a like number of electors within any ward of the city for a ward office; or in lieu thereof nominating petitions for such office may be filed with the city clerk and accompanying such petitions there shall be paid to the city clerk a fee in such sum as shall be equal to two per cent of the first year's salary for such city office. In the case of offices having no salary attached thereto, there may be paid to the city clerk a fee of fifty dollars at the time of filing the nominating petition in lieu of filing a signatory petition as hereinbefore provided. The filing fee so paid is not to be refunded to any candidate unless such candidate has filed a written petition with the city clerk requesting the withdrawal of his name as a candidate at least twenty days before the primary election at which his name would have appeared upon the ballots unless so withdrawn. Such nominating petitions shall be received by the city clerk up to the hour of four o'clock p. m. on the thirty-first day before such primary election. In determining the number of signatures required hereunder, the percentage shall be based upon the total number of registered voters as of the date ninety days prior to the last day for filing nominating petitions. The form of the nominating petition containing signatures shall be as follows: "We, the undersigned qualified electors of the City of Detroit (or ..........ward of the City of Detroit), and residing at the places set opposite our respective names, do hereby request that the name of ...............be placed upon the primary election ballot as a candidate for nomination for the office of............... ....................at the primary election to be held in said city (or in said ward) on the..........................day of....................................................................................... 19......... The undersigned, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that the signatures upon the foregoing petition were obtained by him (or her); that the signatures are the signatures of the persons purporting to sign the same; and that he (or she) verily believes that the signers of such petitions are duly qualified electors of the City of Detroit, County of Wayne and State of Michigan. Subscribed and sworn to before me this...........................day of A. D. 19......... |