Annual and

An Act to Define the Powers and Duties of the Boards of Supervisors of the Several Counties, and to confer upon them certain Local, Administrative and Legislative Powers.

[Approved and took effect April 8, 1851. Laws of 1851, p. 231.]

(335.) SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, Special Meetings. That the Supervisors of the several townships and cities in each of the counties in this State, shall meet annually in their respective counties, for the transaction of business as a Board of Supervisors; they may also hold special meetings when necessary, at such times and places as they may find convenient, and shall have power to adjourn from time to time, as they may deem necessary. The annual meetings of the Board of Supervisors shall be held on the second Monday of October in each year, at the court house in their respective counties, if there be one, and if there be none, then at some place at the county seat, if there be one, and if no county seat be established, then at such place in the county as the clerk of such county may appoint, of which such clerk shall give three weeks' public notice by publishing the same in some newspaper printed in said county, if any, and if none, then in the paper nearest

City Supervisors.

Quorum of Board.

thereto.

(336.) SEC. 2. The Alderman of each ward of the City of Detroit, having the shortest time to serve, shall act as Supervisor on the Board of Supervisors; the City of Monroe shall be entitled to one Supervisor for each ward, who shall be the assessor thereof respectively, and the City of Grand Rapids shall be entitled to two Supervisors.

(337.) SEC. 3. A majority of the Supervisors of any county shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the ordinary business of the county; and all questions which shall arise at their meetings shall be determined by the votes of a majority of the Supervisors present, except upon the final passage or

Meetings.

adoption of any measure or resolution, in which case a majority of all the members elect shall be necessary. They shall sit with open doors, and all persons may attend their meetings. They shall at their first meeting in each year choose one of Proceedings at their number as chairman, who shall preside at all meetings of the board during the year, if present; but in case of his absence from any meeting, the members present shall choose one of their number as a temporary chairman. Every chairman shall have power to administer an oath to any person concerning any matter submitted to the board, or connected with the discharge of their duties; to issue subpoenas for witnesses, and to compel their attendance in the same manner as courts of law.

pensation and

(338.) Sec. 4. The County Clerk of each county, or in his Clerk; his comabsence, his deputy, shall be the Clerk of the Board of Super-duties. visors of such county, and shall be allowed for his services as such clerk a reasonable compensation, to be fixed by the board, and to be paid by the county. It shall be the duty of such clerk:

1. To record all the proceedings of such board in a book provided for that purpose.

2. To make regular entries of all their esolutions and decisions upon all questions.

3. To record the vote of each Supervisor on any question submitted to the board, if required by any member present. 4. To preserve and file all accounts acted upon by the board. 5. To certify, under the seal of the Circuit Court of his county, without charge, copies of any and all resolutions or decisions on any of the proceedings of such board, when required by such board, or any member thereof, or when required by any other person, upon payment of six cents per folio therefor; and such certificate shall be prima facie evidence of the matters therein set forth.

6. To perfom such other and further duties as such board may, by resolution, require.

kept by Clerk.

(339.) SEC. 5. The books, records and accounts of the Board Records to be of Supervisors shall be deposited with their clerk, and shall be open without any charge to the examination of all persons. It shall be the duty of the clerk to designate upon every account upon which any sum shall be audited and allowed by the board, the amount so audited and allowed, and the charges for which the same was allowed.

(340.) SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of every such Board of Supervisors, as often as once in each year, to examine the accounts of the Treasurer of their county, and to ascertain and enter upon their records a full statement of such account.

(341.) SEC. 7. It shall be the duty of such board, as often as shall be necessary, to cause the court house, jail, and public offices of their county to be duly repaired at the expense of such county; but the sums expended in such repairs shall not exceed five hundred dollars in any one year, unless authorized by a vote of the electors of such county, as hereinafter provided. (342.) SEC. 8. They shall also cause to be prepared within the jails of their respective counties, at the expense of such counties, so many cells for the reception of convicts as they may deem necessary.

(343.) SEC. 9. They shall cause to be made out and published yearly, immediately after their annual meeting, in at least one newspaper, if there be one published in the county, if not, in some paper published nearest thereto, a report of the receipts and expenditures, which shall contain a statement of the names of each claimant, the amount claimed, and the amount allowed, of the year next preceding, the accounts allowed, and a full statement of the amounts of the Treasurer's account on the last settlement, as on his balance sheet or account current in making the settlement.

(344.) SEC. 10. A special meeting of the Board of Supervisors of any county shall be held only when requested by at least one-third of the Supervisors of such county; which request shall be in writing, addressed to the County Clerk, and specifying the time and place of such meeting; and upon the reception of such request, the clerk shall immediately give notice in writing to each of the Supervisors, by causing the same to be delivered to such Supervisors personally, or by leaving the same at the place of residence of such Supervisor, at least six days before the time of such meeting.

(345.) SEC. 11. The said several Boards of Supervisors shall have power, and they are hereby authorized, at any meeting thereof lawfully held:

1. To purchase for the use of the county any real estate necessary for the erection of buildings for the support of the poor of such county, and for a farm to be used in connection therewith.

2. To purchase any real estate necessary for the site of any

court house, jail, clerk's office, or any other public county buildings in such county.

3. To fix upon and determine the site of ings, if not previously located.

any

such build

4. To authorize the sale or leasing of any real estate belonging to such county, and to prescribe the mode in which any conveyance thereof shall be executed.

5. To remove or designate a new site for any county buildings required to be at the county seats, when such removal shall not exceed the limits of the village or city at which the county seat is situated as previously located.

6. To cause to be erected the necessary buildings for poor houses, jails, clerk's offices, and other county buildings, and to prescribe the time and manner of erecting the same.

7. To borrow or raise by tax, upon such county, any sum of money necessary for any of the purposes mentioned in this act: Provided, That no greater sum than one thousand dollars shall be borrowed or raised by tax in any one year, for the purpose of constructing or repairing public buildings, highways, or bridges, unless authorized by a majority of the electors of such county voting therefor, as hereinafter provided.

8. To provide for the payment of any loan made by them, by tax upon such county, which shall, in all cases, be within fifteen years from the date of such loan.

9. To prescribe and fix the compensation for all services rendered for, and adjust all claims against their respective counties; and the sums so fixed and defined shall be subject to no appeal.

10. To direct and provide for the raising of any money which may be necessary to defray the current expenses and charges of said county, and the necessary charges incident to, or arising from, the execution of their lawful authority, subject to the limitations prescribed in this act.

11. To abolish, but not revive the distinctions between township and county poor.

12. To extend and determine by resolution the time when each Collector or Township Treasurer in their county shall make his return to the County Treasurer; but such time shall in no case exceed one month from the time fixed by the general law; and in all cases, interest shall be charged on all taxes so extended for the time of such extension.

13. To make such laws and regulations as they may deem necessary, and provide for enforcing the same, for the

destruction of wild beasts, of thistles, and other noxious weeds, within the several counties.

14. To require any county officer, whose salary or compensation is paid by the county, to make a report under oath to them, on any subject or matters connected with the duties of their offices, and to require any such officer to give such bonds, or further or additional bonds, as shall be reasonable or necessary, for the faithful performance of their respective duties; and any such officer who shall neglect or refuse to make such report, or to give such bond, within a reasonable time after being so required, may be removed from office by such board, by a vote of two-thirds of the members elect, and the office declared vacant; and such board may fill such vacancy for the unexpired portion of the time for which such officer was elected or appointed: Provided, That if the spring or fall election shall occur before the expiration of the said unexpired term, if the office be an elective one, the vacancy shall be filled at such clection, and it shall be the duty of said board to give reasonable notice of such election to fill the vacancy.

15. To authorize any township or townships in their res pective counties, by a vote of the electors of such township or townships, to borrow or raise by tax upon such township, any sum of money not exceeding one thousand dollars in any one. township in any one year, to build or repair any roads or bridges in such township or townships, or in the use of which such township or townships may be interested; and to prescribe the time for the payment of any such loan, which shall be within ten years, and for assessing the principal and interest thereof upon such township or townships; and if any road or bridge is situated partly in one township and partly in another, or on the line between townships, or in case any township have any particular local interest in the construction or repair of any bridge, such Board of Supervisors may determine, under such regulations as they may establish, the relative proportion which each township shall contribute in the building or repairing thereof, and the amounts so apportioned to the several townships shall be assessed and collected in the same manner as other township taxes are now assessed and collected by law.

16. To represent their respective counties, and to have the care and management of the property and business of the county, in all cases where no other provision shall be made.

17. To establish such rules and regulations in reference