Editing Bay County, Michigan (section)

==History==

===19th century===
{{expand section|history after the county was organized|date=August 2012}}
Bay County was created in 1857 from portions of [[Midland County, Michigan|Midland County]], [[Saginaw County, Michigan|Saginaw County]], and [[Arenac County, Michigan|Arenac County]].<ref name="Clarke">{{cite web |url=http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/bibliographies_of_clarke_library_material/michigan_local_history/county_material/bay.html |publisher=[[Clarke Historical Library]], [[Central Michigan University]] |title=Bibliography on Bay County|access-date=January 19, 2013}}</ref>  Its name references that it "surrounds Saginaw Bay."<ref name="Clarke"/>  Being only sparsely populated at that time, Arenac County government was unorganized and was attached to Saginaw County for administrative purposes. There was considerable opposition to the creation of Bay County from elected officials in both Saginaw and Midland counties. In 1854, a bill introduced to the state legislature to create Bay County was defeated by a small majority.

In 1857, a new bill was introduced into the legislature. After initial opposition from the representatives of Saginaw and Midland counties, a compromise revision that would present the matter for ratification to the voters of "in said county" was passed by the legislature on February 17, 1857. The matter was put before all the voters of Saginaw and Midland counties and was soundly defeated. However, the population within the boundaries proposed for Bay County approved the measure. The bill passed by the legislature included phrasing, which was deliberately included by the Bay City lawyer Chester H. Freeman, that allowed Bay County to claim ratification. Under the act, the county was to become effective April 20, 1857.

Residents of Bay County held elections for county officials in June 1857. However, Saginaw County did not recognize the organization of the new county government. In the winter of 1858, Freeman secured passage of a bill in the legislature that would have confirmed the organization of Bay County. But the bill was vetoed by the governor. However, a case that went before the [[Michigan Supreme Court]] in its May 1858 term settled the matter. In the case, a defendant was tried in a Saginaw County court, but filed a plea for [[Abatement in pleading|abatement]], claiming that the supposed offense was committed in Bay County and was not in the jurisdiction of the Saginaw County court. Freeman had represented the defendant and prepared arguments, but became incapacitated due to illness. At the request of Freeman's wife, Colonel [[William M. Fenton]] argued the case before the Michigan Supreme Court, with the result that Bay County was declared a fully organized county.<ref>{{cite book |last=Butterfield |first=George Ernest |author2=George N. Fuller |title=History of Bay County |orig-year=192? |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/arx1008.0001.001 |access-date=March 22, 2008 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=42–53 |chapter=County Organization and Government |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;q1=organized;rgn=full%20text;idno=arx1008.0001.001;didno=arx1008.0001.001;view=image;seq=00000040}}</ref>

===20th century===
{{expand section|history between 1900—1978 and after 1979|date=August 2012}}
During [[World War II]], shipyards in Bay County were used to produce US Destroyers and missile vessels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bay County Michigan MIGenWeb Site |url=http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/bay/index.htm |access-date=January 31, 2023 |website=www.mifamilyhistory.org}}</ref>

In 1978, Bay County became the second Michigan county (after [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland County]]) to adopt a County Executive form of government.  [http://www.legislature.mi.gov/printDocument.aspx?objectName=mcl-act-139-of-1973&version=txt Act 139 of 1973] provides for an optional unified form of county government under an appointed County Manager or an elected County Executive. With the County Executive, all departments of the county government that are not headed by a separate elected official (e.g. Treasurer, Clerk, Sheriff, etc.) are under the direction of the County Executive. The County Executive also has veto power over the motions and resolutions passed by the County Commission.

Since the adoption of this form of government, Bay County has had four County Executives: Gary Majeske (R) (1979–1989), Kim Higgs (D) (1989–1993), Thomas Hickner (D) (1993–2016), and [[James Barcia]] (D).