True or False: In the mayor-council form of government, the mayor can hire a city/town administrator without council's approval of the position.
Answer: False
The mayor and council members collectively are authorized to hire an administrator in the mayor-council form of government. Section 5-9-40 of the S.C. Code of Laws(opens in a new tab) states: "The mayor and council may employ an administrator to assist the mayor in his office." This section of the law is interpreted by the S.C. Attorney General's Office(opens in a new tab) to give the council and the mayor (as a voting member of the council) the authority collectively to appoint a city administrator and the incidental power to remove a city administrator.
Want to learn more? The Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government offers in-person and online courses. Elected officials who complete all of the required coursework graduate from the institute and are eligible to participate in the Advanced Institute. The next in-person sessions, held February 7, will be Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government Sessions A and B and Advanced Institute. The Advanced MEO Institute courses offered will be "Municipal Utility Policy and Administration" and "Advanced Advocacy and Intergovernmental Relations."