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This is actually the same in Michigan. There is not a square in of the state that isn't technically incorporated.
From what I'm reading about Michigan, there are incorporated villages within its townships. In NJ, a village is not within a township-- they are entirely independent municipalities.
From what I'm reading about Michigan, there are incorporated villages within its townships. In NJ, a village is not within a township-- they are entirely independent municipalities.
That's just semantical based on state laws. It means that the township is the parent entity. If anything I'd think that would bolster the argument that Townships in MI are more powerful.
Village's in Michigan do not have tax authority, they are little more than an early form of HOA. A village could easily charter into an independent city and be independent of the township. Though it wouldn't make sense for most villages to do this since they could not afford to provide the services required. There are incorporated cities within the state that are smaller than many villages and vice versa.
That's just semantical based on state laws. It means that the township is the parent entity. If anything I'd think that would bolster the argument that Townships in MI are more powerful.
Village's in Michigan do not have tax authority, they are little more than an early form of HOA. A village could easily charter into an independent city and be independent of the township. Though it wouldn't make sense for most villages to do this since they could not afford to provide the services required. There are incorporated cities within the state that are smaller than many villages and vice versa.
This is similar to PA. There are villages and census designated places within townships. They really have no relevance what so ever, other than your mailing address. Which adds a layer of confusion for sure.
Technically every township in Michigan is incorporated. Michigan is the only state that has a Charter Township law which gives townships that charter nearly the same power as an incorporated city. This law was put in place in the 1940s to try to limit Detroit's ability to annex and get more powerful. It eventually became the noose around Detroit's neck. The township lobby is incredibly powerful with in the state.
The townships you're referring to in metro Detroit are all chartered. They are basically cities. The town Michigan's township laws had a huge impact on the why Michigan's urban centers became so weak/mediocre during the decentralization of the 1960s-90s.ships were able to provide a cheaper/safer alternative to the cities. They siphoned massive amounts of residents and businesses from the core cities. It was all but legally impossible for the cities to annex any territory to gain some of that tax base back.
This very much sounds parallel to post-WWII growth in PA and NJ, as well.
Granted, I think there has been more of a push for regional cooperation in some metro areas (namely, Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley in PA, and Northern NJ outside of NYC), but generally speaking, townships in both states are very much seen as impenetrable "fiefdoms," often headed by supervisors or commissioners that are as provincial as they come.
This is similar to PA. There are villages and census designated places within townships. They really have no relevance what so ever, other than your mailing address. Which adds a layer of confusion for sure.
This, times 100. I have never come across any other state with as confusing an address system as Pennsylvania. So many CDPs, or adjacent boroughs taking on mailing addresses within completely separate townships--it's insanity.
In NY, is a Hamlet an incorporated place, or is it an unincorporated version of a village?
A Hamlet is an unincorporated community within a New York Town, it is similar to the way a neighborhood is an unincorporated community within a City. Hamlets tend to be rural or suburban in nature.
City (incorporated)
--- neighborhood (unincorporated)
Town (incorporated)
--- Village (incorporated)
or
--- Hamlet (unincorporated)
Incorporated means they have their own government - a City and Village have a Mayor and a Town has a Town Supervisor and Town Council.
A Hamlet in contrast does not have its own government or rules, except what its parent Town chooses to give it. For instance, my Town has special zoning for each Hamlet and a Developmental Agency for one of the Hamlets.
This is similar to PA. There are villages and census designated places within townships. They really have no relevance what so ever, other than your mailing address. Which adds a layer of confusion for sure.
Please note: Villages in Pennsylvania are not municipal corporations as they are in New York State or (it appears) Michigan.
They are merely "census designated places" — a term that refers to a place that is not an incorporated municipality but does have a commonly accepted identity that the Census Bureau recognizes.
PennDOT, however, does mark villages along state highways as though they were municipalities.
All of the stations along the Main Line are (or would be if they were marked) villages of this type. And note that four of them — Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Villanova — straddle a township and a county line (the counties are Montgomery and Delaware; the Montgomery County municipality containing all four is Lower Merion Township. All but Villanova lie partly in Haverford Township*; Villanova lies partly in Radnor Township.
Pennsylvania municipalities may cross county lines, but I believe only a few do so.
*To avoid confusion, the area of Haverford Township outside Haverford CDP is referred to as "Havertown."
Pennsylvania doesn't have an equivalent of Michigan's Charter Township Law, but it does have a Home Rule and Optional Plans Law that took effect after the 1968 state constitution expanded the scope of municipal home rule. Prior to this change, only cities could adopt home rule charters; such charters reverse the relationship between municipality and state (a home rule municipality can pass any laws it wants to save those the state prohibits; a borough, township or city without home rule can pass only those laws the state's municipalities codes allow it to).
Home rule municipalities may retain their designation as "city," "borough" or "township", or, as Norristown (former borough) did, it can jettison the old term.
There is a sign on PA 100 at the Pottstown line that identifies it as a "municipality", but Pottstown has not adopted a home rule charter or optional plan. It remains a borough governed by the Pennsylvania Borough Code.
AFAIK, nothing in Pennsylvania's municipalities statutes prevent one municipality from merging with or absorbing another; Philadelphia City combined with its county in 1854, extinguishing some 30-odd boroughs, townships, and districts, and Pittsburgh absorbed several adjacent cities and boroughs in Allegheny County in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Please note: Villages in Pennsylvania are not municipal corporations as they are in New York State or (it appears) Michigan.
They are merely "census designated places" — a term that refers to a place that is not an incorporated municipality but does have a commonly accepted identity that the Census Bureau recognizes.
PennDOT, however, does mark villages along state highways as though they were municipalities.
All of the stations along the Main Line are (or would be if they were marked) villages of this type. And note that four of them — Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Villanova — straddle a township and a county line (the counties are Montgomery and Delaware; the Montgomery County municipality containing all four is Lower Merion Township. All but Villanova lie partly in Haverford Township*; Villanova lies partly in Radnor Township.
Pennsylvania municipalities may cross county lines, but I believe only a few do so.
.
Villages....
I am thinking of because of your description of Pennsylvania that the term "village" was really widespread for a semi-rural community of some houses, a church and maybe a few stores. Since years ago, most of the USA was rural, even a small community was notable. Think of a village as originally a small settled community to the point that developers are naming their small garden complexes as "villages" even today.
In Pennsylvania, if an unincorporated "village" reaches a certain population, the people could vote to separate from the Township and become a Borough or even a full fledged City if they want to.
Highways.....
New York and think most states are similar to Pennsylvania regarding signage. If an unincorporated community is large enough, it gets it own sign along major highways. Levittown for instance, has 50,000 people, it should not get its own sign just because it is unincorporated and is run by the Town of Hempstead? Of course it should.
I am thinking of because of your description of Pennsylvania that the term "village" was really widespread for a semi-rural community of some houses, a church and maybe a few stores. Since years ago, most of the USA was rural, even a small community was notable. Think of a village as originally a small settled community to the point that developers are naming their small garden complexes as "villages" even today.
In Pennsylvania, if an unincorporated "village" reaches a certain population, the people could vote to separate from the Township and become a Borough or even a full fledged City if they want to.
Highways.....
New York and think most states are similar to Pennsylvania regarding signage. If an unincorporated community is large enough, it gets it own sign along major highways. Levittown for instance, has 50,000 people, it should not get its own sign just because it is unincorporated and is run by the Town of Hempstead? Of course it should.
Is all of Levittown, N.Y., in the Town of Hempstead?
I thought that the distinguishing feature of the third Levittown — the one in New Jersey, which that state's Supreme Court forced Levitt & Sons to open to Black buyers in 1959 — was that it was the first to be located entirely within a single municipality, Willingboro Township. Levitt changed the township's name to Levittown when it built the development; the residents changed it back in 1963, whereupon Levitt withdrew his company's support for the township's schools.
Levittown, Pa., which comes in between the two, covers parts of three townships — Bristol, Falls and Middletown — and one borough, Tullytown, where the Regional Rail station serving Levittown is located.
But yes: If New York State also posts signs on its highways for unincorporated hamlets (Levittown is kinda big to be called a "hamlet," though), then definitely, it deserves one.
And I think your explanation of the widespread use of the word "village" is also accurate. But there are some states where villages are also legal municipalities. New York State is one of them; Illinois and my home state of Missouri are two more. So is Michigan, the only one of the three states being discussed here where that is the case.
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