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 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 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."