In South Carolina, all municipal governments operate under one of the three forms of government outlined in state law — the council form, the mayor-council form or the council-manager form. Each has its own specific requirements for how the city or town administration operates.
Since the law varies in how it assigns roles and responsibilities under each of the three forms, the differences between them is often a topic of questions among city officials. Who is responsible for preparing the budget? Who calls special meetings, or sets meeting agendas? How does the supervision of departments and employees work?
To help with these issues, the Municipal Association of SC offers a Forms and Powers of Municipal Government handbook. It has now released an updated and expanded version of this publication.
The three forms
In all three forms, the legislative and policymaking authority rests with the full council, including adopting the budget. Administrative functions, however, can differ significantly.
In a recent podcast, Municipal Association General Counsel Eric Shytle and Associate General Counsel Sara Weathers discussed the division of administrative powers in each form, and common questions about how they work.
Here’s some of the key administrative differences:
- Council form – The mayor in this form has no additional authority compared to other councilmembers. The council has administrative power and can hire an administrator to assist it. The mayor performs administrative duties only if authorized by the council. The full council also appoints the clerk, attorney and judge.
- Mayor-council form – The mayor in this form serves as chief executive officer, supervising departments, as well as appointing and removing employees according to personnel rules adopted by council. The mayor also prepares and submits the budget and capital program to the council, and makes the annual financial report to the public and to the council. The full council appoints the clerk, attorney and judge. The council can hire an administrator to assist the mayor.
- Council-manager form – This form adds the position of a city or town manager. The manager serves as chief executive and head of the administrative branch, appointing and removing employees, including the clerk, and setting salaries. The manager also prepares and administers the annual budget and makes financial reports.
The handbook describes the powers given by state law to mayors, councils and city managers or administrators under the different forms. It also covers who performs administrative duties under each of the three structures, who supervises departments and appoints and removes employees, who is responsible for preparing a municipality’s budget, who can call special meetings, as well as how municipalities may change the form of government through a referendum.
Not every question about roles and responsibilities has a clear answer in state law. The handbook describes some of these areas of question where the council can help reduce potential conflict through communication and thoughtfully established rules. This can include how the city establishes agendas for council meetings, assigns purchasing powers and provides regular access to information.
Annual Meeting panel session
At the 2026 Municipal Association of SC Annual Meeting, a panel discussion on Saturday, July 18, “Does the Form of Government Really Matter?” will bring together a panel of municipal leaders to discuss how to overcome structural barriers to foster a culture of professional trust.
The panel will feature these participants:
- Mayor Melissa Emmons, Town of Elgin – Mayor-council form
- Mayor David Merchant, City of Sumter – Council-manager form
- Mayor Julia Nelson, City of Manning – Council form