Michigan Association of Township Supervisors is an independent, representative organization for and of Township Supervisors which provides education and facilitates networking on contemporary township issues, and serves as a legislative watchdog and lobbyist on issues of critical concern to supervisors.

As a Township Supervisor, you should consider MATS to be your professional service association. With membership at over 300 townships and growing, MATS represents officials from every corner of the state and communities of all sizes from very rural to quite urban. Membership is affordable and valuable!

As a member, you will receive discounts on MATS education programs, opportunities to network with and learn from your peers, invitations to hear outstanding speakers who are experts in local government topics, updates on issues critical to your community's well-being, and more. Join today and become the best Township Supervisor you can be.

MATS News

(May 9, 2008) Elections mean no MATS Fall Education Conference this year
There will not be a Fall Education Conference this year because the fall MATS conference would have been held less than three weeks before elections. With all Township Supervisors up for reelection, the MATS Board agreed that it is unlikely that many would be willing to travel out of town for 3 days so close to the election. Not to worry, though -- The MATS Fall Convention will return in 2009, and the 2009 Spring Education Conference will offer expanded opportunities for both new and veteran Supervisors.

(May 9, 2008) MATS BOOTH at the MTA Trade Show Booth in the Works
Look for MATS to have a more visible presence at the January 2009 MTA Convention in Detroit. Executive Director Judi Lintott is coordinating those plans with MTA Staff, beginning with MATS hosting a booth in the MTA Trade Show. The booth will feature a relaxing cafe atmosphere for Supervisors to gather for networking and refreshments throughout the day. If you would be interested in helping to staff the MATS Booth, please contact Executive Director Judi Lintott at 734-572-8776 or .


(May 9, 2008) MATS Board votes to expand to 8 Districts; President to appoint 2 new Directors . . .
At the MATS board meeting in Mount Pleasant on April 10, the board approved a proposal to expand from six to eight districts. This adds two Director positions to the board. The change splits the Upper Peninsula into two districts and splits the northern Mitten into two districts. This will ease the workload and make it easier for Directors in those areas to regularly contact the Township Supervisors in their MATS District. MATS Directors are expected to attend four board meetings a year, which are held at the educational conferences in January, March/April and October, and one additional summer meeting in June. The next regular election of Directors will be held in March 2009. If you would be interested in serving as a Director on the MATS Board, please contact Executive Director Judi Lintott at 734-572-8776 or .

(March 19, 2008) Free Records Management Seminars offered by the State of Michigan
The State of Michigan Records Management Services will be presenting free 3-hour workshops that will provide an introduction and overview of records management responsibilities of local governments. Township officials are encouraged to attend. The workshops will be offered on:

May 20, 2008--Detroit at 1-4 p.m.
August 21, 2008--Escanaba at 1-4 p.m.

Detailed information about the seminars is available online by clicking here. Under "Workshops", click on "Records Management Workshops for Local Government." There is a registration link in the flyer.

Update your Supervisor’s contact information!
The MATS staff is continually working to keep our database of Township Supervisors up-to-date to assure that every Township Supervisor receives information and announcements in the most timely manner possible. If you are the Supervisor and your contact information has changed, or if your Township has a new Supervisor, please contact MATS immediately! Please be sure to provide an email address, as that is the fastest, most reliable, and most economical way to contact many people at one time. Please contact MATS Executive Director Judi Lintott at 734-572-8776 or with your database updates, as well as any suggestions and questions regarding the organization.

New vendor programs available . . .
MATS is expanding its database of and vendors who supply products and services to Michigan’s 1242 Townships. If your firm markets to Townships and you would like to increase its visibility with top decision makers statewide, you should get to know about MATS’s new vendor programs, including sponsorship, program advertising, exhibiting and Business Partnership. Please contact MATS Executive Director Judi Lintott at 734-572-8776 or .

Invite MATS to your County Supervisors Meeting!
If your county has a Township Supervisors meeting on a regular basis, consider inviting the MATS executive director or a MATS board member to come speak about MATS. We are eager to share the good news about the benefits of membership and to encourage Supervisors statewide to attend the upcoming conferences. In June Executive Director Judi Lintott visited the Shiawassee County Supervisors meeting and had the great pleasure of meeting about a dozen supervisors. Please contact MATS Executive Director Judi Lintott at 734-572-8776 or with your requests, and she will pass the invitation along to the board member from your district. It is helpful if you can contact MATS several weeks before your meeting.

Links

Census data on all Michigan Townships (source, Wikipedia)
East Central Michigan Planning & Development Region
Grand Valley Metro Council
Land Information Access Association
MATS Business Partnership Program
MATS Marketing Opportunities - Exhibit, Advertise, Sponsor
Michigan Compiled Laws
Michigan House of Representatives
Michigan Legislature
Michigan Municipal League
Michigan Public Service Commission: Michigan Electric Utility Restructuring
Michigan Rural Water Association
Michigan Senate
Michigan Townships Association
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments