Townships Holding Annual Meetings on Township Tuesday

UNDATED -- If you live in a township mark your calendar for next Tuesday, which is Township Day in Minnesota.

David Hann is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Associations of Townships. He reminds you that your town meeting will be your chance to vote on the property tax levy that you'll be required to pay.

The town members have the opportunity to vote directly on authorizing the levy that the board has proposed.  Unlike other forms of government where the representatives are elected and then they choose the levy, in the case of townships, the board recommends the levy and it has to be approved by the voters.

He says most of the money collected being used to maintain roads and bridges.

Most Minnesotans don't realize it but township roads constitute almost 40 percent of all the state road miles, more than the state of Minnesota maintains, more than all the counties together maintain, more than all the cities maintain.  So it's a big part of our economic infrastructure that towns are responsible for.

Hann says most townships have three elected supervisors. They also have a treasurer and a clerk, which can be either elected or appointed, but don't have a vote.

Minnesota has 1,781 townships with over 915,000 residents. To find out about your township's meeting time and location you should contact the town clerk.