Membership in the Michigan Municipal League

Why belong to the Michigan Municipal League?

“In union there is strength.”

Aesop’s simple words remind us why, in 1899 a handful of mayors gathered in Grand Rapids to form an association that would take them forward together. This group would be a collective voice for the interests of cities and villages against a powerful legislature and would come to provide information and services for staff and officials in communities throughout the state. That core mission still guides the Michigan Municipal League today.

In its nearly 108 years, the Michigan Municipal League has become one of the most important and strongest of its kind in the country. As the state association of cities and villages, it is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association working cooperatively to strengthen the quality of municipal government and administration.

The League is your professional service association, and the staff strives to be responsive to the needs of each member. To get the most out of your municipality’s membership, your officials and staff must become involved, use the available benefits and attend League events to network with and learn from other officials.

Many services are included with your full MML membership

Your community’s membership in the Michigan Municipal League includes access to a vast array of helpful programs and information. Any elected official, staff member or appointed official from a member community may call the Michigan Municipal League for assistance. They may also receive their own password for the member section of our website. For details about League services, please send an email to info@mml.org or call 800-653-2483.

Advocacy of Municipal Issues

Michigan’s communities influence the legislative process everyday though MML’s State and Federal Affairs Division (SFAD). Members stay informed on lobbying efforts through:

The Legislative Link E-Newsletter – A weekly rundown of legislative activity as recounted by the League’s lobbying team. Articles are timely and issue-oriented to keep members up-to-speed on specific legislation, policy development, legislative events and more.
Action Alerts & Issue Advisories – Sporadic by nature, action alerts and issue advisories update members on information that just cannot wait. These updates might outline an urgent legislative situation, summarize a new law or provide information for collective grassroots efforts.
Recent Legislative Successes

Information and Education

You ask, we answer . . . . Any staff member or elected or appointed official in a member community may call the MML for information and may receive a password to access the member section at www.mml.org. The inquiry team in the Member Services department has received more than 30,000 inquiries since 1993.

The inquiry service is one of the League’s original services, and has been used by 100 percent of our members during the time we’ve been tracking and logging inquiries. The most frequently asked questions relate to parliamentary procedure; requests for sample policies and ordinances; charter information; the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

Publications & Online Help – An ever increasing number of the League’s publications, including Michigan Municipal Review magazine and the Municipal Yellow Pages, are available to members for free online.

The member-only section of the League’s web site provides a host of topical data, sample resolutions, ordinances and policies and links to dozens of related resources. More than 2,000 individual visitors tap into the resources at www.mml.org every week.

Fiscal Database – The League’s fiscal database includes 20 years of data on local revenues and expenditures, millage rates, state-shared revenue, taxable values, state equalized values and Act 51/Transportation revenues and expenditures. As a member, you can request reports tailored to your needs free of charge.

Municipal Manager Pool – The League maintains an online database of professional municipal mangers available for interim assignments or to assist in managing special projects on a part-time or temporary basis.

Wage & Salary Survey – The results of the League’s annual wage and salary survey are available online through a database that members may search by a number of criteria. A benefits section provides a comprehensive overview of compensation packages.

Legal Assistance – Although they do not issue formal opinions, MML attorneys are available to consult with your municipal attorney on legal topics facing your municipality.

MML Legal Defense Fund – More than 80 percent of MML members voluntarily belong to the Fund. Assisted by the top municipal attorneys in Michigan, the LDF actively participates in more than 30 cases a year that will have a significant impact on local governance and operations.

Risk Management – A wealth of risk management information on all aspects of municipal operations is available through the websites of the MML Liability and Property Pool and MML Workers’ Compensation Fund, which are accessible through www.mml.org. The Risk Management Newsletter is available online and is distributed to over 4,500 local officials. Additional services and information are available for members of the Pool and Fund.

Elected Officials Academy – The EOA is a voluntary program designed to encourage elected officials to pursue education in topics critical to governing their city or village, and to participate in a variety of leadership roles. Officials are recognized as they complete each of three levels in the Academy. Participation in these core activities provides officials with tools they need to make sound decisions affecting their community’s future.

Northern Field Service
The League’s field office in Gladstone extends access to all of the League’s services to our most northern members. The field representative visits approximately 100 communities every year, providing a variety of customized assistance.

Additional services are fee-based

Many services are needed only occasionally by most members. Because the Michigan Municipal League specializes in local government, we are able to provide the highest quality service, tailored specifically for your municipality’s needs, often at a cost far below that charged by private sector service providers.

Education: The League is committed to providing the highest quality education for local officials and municipal staff. Opportunities include more than 30 one-day seminars each year, regional education seminars each spring; the Capital Conference; the Annual Convention; onsite programs; online resources and distance learning tools created by the MML Foundation.

Management Consulting: The MML staff provides a wide range of services to help your management team provide efficient and effective use of valuable resources.

Insurance: Award-winning workers’ compensation and property and municipal liability insurance are available through League-sponsored programs administered by the Risk Management Services staff.

Other fee-based services: The Michigan Municipal League contracts with a number of outside service providers to offer members competitive rates for:

Health insurance

Life insurance

Short and long-term disability income protection

COBRA administration

Unemployment compensation

Retirement and defined contribution plans

Flexible benefit administration

CDL drug and alcohol testing

How to get involved

The Michigan Municipal League was founded by municipal leaders intent upon preserving and improving local government. Their primary goals for the organization – to advocate for municipal interests, to educate local officials and to assist in preserving home rule – still guide MML today.

To get the most out of your community’s membership, there are many ways for municipal officials and staff to become involved in the organization’s leadership:

Serve on one of the League’s standing or ad hoc committees
Serve as your municipality’s legislative director
Become a regional officer
Serve as a board or committee member for one of the League’s programs:
Michigan Municipal Liability & Property Pool
Michigan Municipal Workers’ Compensation Fund
Elected Officials Academy
MML Foundation
Represent your municipality as the official delegate at the annual business meeting
Become a member of the Board of Trustees

Contact us

For information on any League service please send an email to info@mml.org
or call 800-653-2483.