In Leelanau County, Your Township Handles More Than You'd Think

If you’re buying in Leelanau County, here’s something that trips up a lot of newcomers. Most of the local government you’ll actually deal with happens at the township level. Not the county level. Your township handles its own zoning, property assessment, emergency services, parks, cemeteries, and elections. Those are all the things that come up as a property owner.

What that means in practice: zoning rules aren’t the same from one township to the next. Each township runs its own zoning administrator and planning commission. Each enforces its own ordinances. Short-term rentals work the same way. Leelanau Township, for example, started requiring STR permits in January 2021 under its own ordinance. The rules differ across the county’s townships. So if you’re counting on renting a place out, check with whichever township you’re buying in before you assume anything.

Property taxes have a township layer too. Your township assessor handles the Principal Residence Exemption (PRE), a partial tax break for your primary home. The assessor also handles the Property Transfer Affidavit you file when you close on a place. Roads split along a different line. County roads and bridges fall under the road commission. Private roads fall under township ordinances, and property owners maintain them. Once you know which township you’re in, that office is usually your first and most useful call.