Kalamazoo Charter Township is a

charter township A charter township is a form of local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. Townships in Michigan are organized governments. A charter township has been granted a charter, which allows it certain rights and responsibilities of home rule that ...

Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 261,670. The county seat is Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo County is included in the Kalamazoo– Portage, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Kalamazoo Count ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The population was 21,918 at the 2010 census. The cities of

Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

and

Parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins of ...

are adjacent to the township and have annexed much land that was formerly within the township, such that the township now consists of two non-contiguous sections of land and one small section that is connected by a narrow point across Riverview Drive. Two

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

s (CDPs) are within the township:

Eastwood Eastwood may refer to: Places ;in Australia *Eastwood, New South Wales **Eastwood railway station **Electoral district of Eastwood *Eastwood, South Australia ;in Canada * Eastwood, Ontario *Eastwood, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhood ;in the Ph ...

and Westwood. These are defined for statistical purposes and do not have any legal status as municipalities. However, both have an identity as communities, although the areas defined by the CDPs may not precisely correspond to local use of the terms. The CDPs can include nearby areas that locals might not consider as part of the community with the same name. Kalamazoo Township was initially organized under the name of "Arcadia Township" by an act of the Territorial Legislature on July 30, 1830. A separate act on the same day organized the government of Kalamazoo County. Initially Arcadia Township consisted of all eight of the northern tier of townships in Kalamazoo County. In June 1832, Richland Township was set off, consisting of Richland,

Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...

, Charleston, and Comstock townships. On March 2, 1836, Arcadia Township was renamed as Kalamazoo Township, the same day that the village of Bronson was renamed as

. On March 11, 1837, Cooper Township was set off, consisting of Cooper and

Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Ant ...

townships. On March 22, 1839, Oshtemo Township was set off from Kalamazoo.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the township has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.95%, are water.

Government

The government of the

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

provides a number of services to its residents including its

police department The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...

fire stations __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire ho ...

, building and inspection services, and a planning and zoning board. The

allows residents to attend public meetings as well as bimonthly board meetings to voice concerns.

Committees, boards, and commissions

* Board of Trustees (elected): Don Martin (Supervisor,

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

), Mark E. Miller (Clerk, Democrat), Sherine Miller (Treasurer, Democrat), Ashley Glass (Democrat), Steven Leuty (Democrat), and Lisa Moaiery (Democrat) * Zoning Board of Appeals: James Short (Chairman), Shawn Blue, Robert Mihelich, Frederick Nagler, Nicolette Leigh, Maryanne Sydlick (first alternate), and Lisa Moaiery (second alternate and trustee) * Board of Review: Kevin Sampson, Shawn Gallagher, and James Rodbard * Climate Committee: Mark Miller Chairman, Dexter Mitchell (township manager), Ashley Glass (

secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

), Lisa Maoiery (trustee), Craig Sherwood (township resident), Nicholette Leigh (township resident), Tom Stegink (township resident), Jennifer Drake (township resident), Tim Taser (township resident) * Planning Commission: Frederick Nagler (Chairman), Christopher Mihelich (secretary), Steven Leuty (trustee and ex officio), Warren Cook, William Chapman, Denise Hartsough, and Peter Morrison * Elections Committee: Mark Miller (township clerk and committee chairman), Clara Robinson (trustee and member), and Lisa Moaiery (trustee and member)

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 21,675 people, 9,349 households, and 5,338 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 9,856 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 82.46%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 12.31%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.30% Native American, 1.17%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.61% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.13% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.07% of the population. There were 9,349 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89. In the township the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $37,463, and the median income for a family was $46,161. Males had a median income of $35,993 versus $28,064 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the township was $19,844. About 6.0% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Townships in Kalamazoo County, Michigan Charter townships in Michigan Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan area 1830 establishments in Michigan Territory