MICHIGAN SENATE
Senate Resolution No. 125
Offered by Senators Moss, Bayer, Damoose, Lindsey, Singh and Webber
A RESOLUTION TO COMMEMORATE THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE FOUNDING OF THE MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE
WHEREAS, May 23, 2024, marks 125 years of the Michigan Municipal League’s
presence in our state; and
WHEREAS, The origins of the Michigan Municipal League were initiated in 1899 when
a group of mayors sought to collaborate with one another and form an organization to
focus on ‘good government’ and strengthen the concept of home rule. The original bylaws
envisioned an organization whose purpose was “the affiliation of municipal officials and
the general improvement of every branch of municipal administration…”; and
WHEREAS, Michigan organized a state municipal league in 1899, following California,
Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The organization was known as the League of Michigan
Municipalities, and its founding members were: Adrian, Albion, Alpena, Ann Arbor,
Battle Creek, Bay City, Benton Harbor, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Charlevoix, Charlotte,
Coldwater, Detroit, Dowagiac, Eaton Rapids, Flint, Grand Haven, Grand Ledge, Grand Rapids,
Hillsdale, Holly, Hudson, Ionia, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Ludington, Manistee,
Marshall, Mason, Monroe, Muskegon, Niles, Owosso, Pontiac, Port Huron, Rochester,
Saginaw, St. Louis, Stanton, St. Joseph, Traverse City, Wyandotte, and Ypsilanti; and
WHEREAS, The League’s continuity was secured in 1928 by creating a permanent
home in Ann Arbor, hiring a full-time employee, publishing a periodical, and establishing
a clearinghouse of information. Harold D. Smith was the first director and built the
League into a statewide organization by doubling membership his first year and doubling
it again in his second year; and
WHEREAS, In 1957, the League expanded its presence by establishing an additional
consultation and research office in Lansing and, ten years later, held its first legislative
conference bolstering its advocacy and coverage of municipal issues at the state level; and
WHEREAS, Currently, the mission statement reads: “The Michigan Municipal League
is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating
programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with
resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest
centers of potential: its communities”; and
WHEREAS, The League continues its legacy of service to meet the challenges of
Michigan’s 280 cities, 240 villages, and five urban townships; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the members of this legislative body commemorate
the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Michigan Municipal League.
Adopted by the Senate, May 23, 2024.
Secretary of the Senate