Government of Saginaw, Michigan facts for kids
The Government of Saginaw, Michigan helps run the city of Saginaw. It uses a special system called a council-manager government. In this system, the city council makes the big decisions, and a city manager handles the day-to-day work. The mayor is chosen by the city council members from among themselves.
Saginaw is known as a "home rule city" in Michigan. This means it has the power to create its own rulebook, called a city charter. Think of a city charter like a mini-constitution for the city. It sets out how the city government works. Saginaw's current city charter was put into place in 1935 and started being used on January 6, 1936.
How Saginaw's Government Started
On June 28, 1889, the Michigan state government passed a law to combine two cities: the City of Saginaw and the City of East Saginaw. They became one new city, also named Saginaw.
Challenges of the Early Government
When the two cities first joined, there were many disagreements. People from the old Saginaw and old East Saginaw didn't always trust each other. This made it hard for the new city government to work smoothly.
To try and make things fair, the city was divided into 21 areas called "wards." Each ward elected two representatives, called aldermen, to the city council. The mayor was elected by all the citizens of the city. At that time, Saginaw had about 42,323 people.
Changes for a Better City
After many years of problems and disagreements in the government, the people of Saginaw decided to make a big change. They voted to simplify their government.
The city was then divided into only five wards. Each ward elected just one person to the city council. These council members had important jobs. Each person was in charge of a different part of the city's services, like:
- Public works (roads, buildings)
- Finance (money matters)
- Parks and cemeteries
- Health and safety
- Water and sewer systems
This new system helped the city government work more effectively for its citizens.
