The Michigan House of Representatives passed four bills this session that remain pending in the Michigan Senate that would change when a local officer’s term of office starts following an election held after December 31, 2024. Specifically, the pending legislation would do the following:
- HB 5699 would amend the Michigan Election Law to provide that all terms of office for elected township officers commence at noon on December 1 following the officer’s election.
- HB 5700 would amend the Home Rule City Act to generally provide that all terms of office for elected city officers must commence no earlier than at 12 noon on the first day of the month following the officer’s election. If a city charter provides for an earlier start date, then all terms of office for that city’s elected officers would commence at 12:00 noon on the first day of the month following the officer’s election.
- HB 5701 would amend the General Law Village Act to provide that, following a regular village election, the terms of office for village president, clerk, treasurer, or trustee begins on December 1 following the officer’s election and qualification.
- HB 5702 would amend the Home Rule Village Act to generally require the terms of office for elected officers of a home rule village to commence no earlier than noon on December 1 following that officer’s election. To the extent a village charter provides an earlier start date, the terms of office for that village’s elected officers would start on December 1 at 12:00 noon.
Under all four bills, an officer elected to fill a vacancy would assume office after certification of the election results.