Editing Bay County, Michigan (section)

===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).