(1) The governing bodies of 2 or more contiguous townships, villages, or qualified cities may, acting jointly, create a joint police administrative board, fire administrative board, or police and fire administrative board. A joint administrative board shall consist of 2 members from each participating township, village, or qualified city. The members of a joint administrative board shall be appointed by their respective governing bodies for terms of 6 years. Of the first members appointed, 1 member from each participating township, village, or qualified city shall be appointed for a term of 4 years. A member of a joint administrative board shall not be an employee of a police or fire department of a participating township, village, or qualified city. A member of a joint administrative board may be compensated for each meeting, not to exceed 52 per year, at a rate established by the participating governing bodies for each meeting the member attends and shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of board duties. A vacancy on a joint administrative board shall be filled by the original appointing governing body for the remainder of the unexpired term.

    (2) At its first meeting, a joint administrative board shall, by resolution approved by a majority of its members, select an additional member who shall be a resident of a participating township, village, or qualified city. The members shall annually elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from the board membership. A joint administrative board shall hold 4 regular quarterly meetings a year and special meetings as necessary at times as it determines. A joint administrative board shall adopt its own rules of procedure and shall keep a record of its proceedings. A majority of the members constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the affirmative vote of a majority of all the members is necessary for the adoption of a motion or resolution. The members of a joint administrative board shall be residents of the townships, villages, or qualified cities from which they were appointed. The members of a joint administrative board may be removed by the appointing governing body.

    (3) A joint administrative board created under this section shall prepare an annual police department budget or fire department budget, or both, for the police department, fire department, or police and fire departments of each participating township, village, or qualified city. The proposed budgets shall be submitted to and reviewed by the respective governing bodies and may be amended, adopted, or rejected by them. A joint administrative board shall have other powers and duties as considered necessary by the participating governing bodies. A joint administrative board, if authorized to employ and appoint a police chief, fire chief, or other police or fire officers, including detectives, shall only employ and appoint such officers on behalf of an individual township, qualified city, or village and does not constitute a new employer.

    (4) The business that a joint administrative board may perform shall be conducted at a public meeting of the board held in compliance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275. Public notice of the time, date, and place of the meeting shall be given in the manner required by the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.

    (5) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by the board in the performance of an official function shall be made available to the public in compliance with the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

    (6) As used in this section, “governing body” means the body in which the legislative powers of a township, village, or qualified city are vested.