Being the State Treasurer is more than a temporary change in leadership. Much like any government official, the Treasurer becomes a steward—managing, protecting, and administering affairs on behalf of others. While in office, Michigan's Treasurer is responsible for the long-term fiscal health and stability of the state. The Treasurer oversees staff who provide fair and efficient financial services on behalf of taxpayers, governments, students, and all Michiganders.
During their temporary leadership of the department, the Treasurers encountered challenging situations and new, evolving technologies throughout their tenure. To reflect that journey, we’ve highlighted key moments from four periods of Michigan’s development.
When Michigan officially joined the Union as a state in 1837, the early Treasurers had to build a new financial system nearly from scratch. Territorial accounting and finances could not keep up with the rapidly developing economy. To keep people moving within the state, Treasurers had to manage infrastructure projects like canals and roads while working through economic crises and, eventually, the strains of the Civil War.
Education was a priority from the beginning. Treasury managed land sales that helped fund higher education institutions. Growing populations increased the need for schooling. Communities squabbled over public‑school funding and the legality of taxation to support secondary schools.
These eleven State Treasurers navigated the earliest years of Michigan’s statehood.
After the Civil War, these ten Treasurers experienced the shift from an agriculture based economy to industries like logging and mining. Treasury moved to Lansing in the new Capitol Building as part of a centralization effort. Managing finances became more complex—supporting railroads, public schools, and expanding urban infrastructure. A growth in diverse populations created a need for additional services across the state.
During this time, Treasury saw major changes in taxation—from developing fairer assessments, to limiting burdensome property tax rates, to creating a sales tax, and eventually laying the groundwork for Michigan's personal income tax. Taxes on specific items funded related infrastructure, such as a fuel tax to support road maintenance and development. Treasury struggled to remain solvent throughout the Great Depression as legal debts accrued. Michigan's economy shifted into manufacturing, especially automobiles. Two world wars increased manufacturing demand while reducing the available workforce.
These fourteen Treasurers oversaw massive change, economic upheaval, and a new constitution, emerging with a modern financial institution critical to funding education, infrastructure, and social services.
Throughout this period, Treasury saw an increase in local taxation rights, limits on state spending, and the creation of the State Education Tax under Proposal A to reduce disparities in school funding. The Great Recession caused further tax restructuring to make up for falling revenues. Long-term financially distressed cities and school districts were placed under Emergency Managers for a time, with complicated results, including the Flint Water Crisis. Michigan endured the COVID-19 pandemic, dramatically reshaping Treasury, Michigan, and the world.
These twelve Treasurers saw both incremental and dramatic shifts in the economy, public health, and social consciousness.
