An urban township or urban town is a designation of a unit of local government

Local government

Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...

 in Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 as prescribed by Minnesota Statues 2004, 368.01. A town (township) within 20 miles of the city hall of a city of over 200,000 (i.e., within 20 miles of downtown Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

 or St. Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...

), or a town with a population of 1,200 or more, is automatically an urban township. In addition, a town with a population of 1,000 or more may vote at its annual town meeting to become an urban township.

An urban township is freed from needing elector approval of certain town actions, and is given additional powers given otherwise only to cities. The greatest addition to powers of an urban township is that of economic development and public works.

External links

• Terms Used In Local Government Legislation in Minnesota
• Comparison Chart of Urban and Non-Urban Town Powers from the Minnesota Association of Townships