No person, partnership, association or corporation, public or private, operating a
public utility shall have the right to the use of the highways, streets, alleys or other public
places of any county, township, city or village for wires, poles, pipes, tracks, conduits or other
utility facilities, without the consent of the duly constituted authority of the county, township,
city or village; or to transact local business therein without first obtaining a franchise from the
township, city or village. Except as otherwise provided in this constitution the right of all
counties, townships, cities and villages to the reasonable control of their highways, streets,
alleys and public places is hereby reserved to such local units of government.
Structure Michigan constitution