True or False?
In the mayor-council form of government, the mayor does not need approval from the entire council to hire a city or town administrator.
Answer: False
In the mayor-council form, the mayor acts as the chief administrative officer, appointing and removing employees subject to personnel policies adopted by council. Furthermore, SC Code Section 5-9-40 states that the “mayor and council may employ an administrator to assist the mayor in his office.” Because the two are listed together — “mayor and council” — the language has been interpreted to mean that the consent of the governing body is required to employ or remove an administrator.
The Municipal Association’s handbook, Forms and Powers of Municipal Government, explains 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 session is the Advanced MEO Institute’s Advanced Continuing Education Fall Session, taking place October 19 at the Marriott Columbia. The session will cover civility in local government and municipal court operations.