There is only one municipal staff role that South Carolina law requires of every city and town, no matter their size or form of government: the municipal clerk.
Each May, the International Institute of Municipal Clerks marks Professional Municipal Clerks Week to celebrate the essential functions of the role. The 55th annual observance will be May 5 – 11.
The Municipal Association website offers a sample resolution that city and town councils can use in May to recognize their clerks’ work in providing a professional link between residents and their local government. Find it online.
Municipal clerks often receive little attention, but they fulfill a crucial function for their governments. Their responsibilities include preparing the agendas for council meetings and then creating minutes of the meetings. Clerks maintain records of a city’s ordinances and council’s resolutions, and the records of appointed commissions and committees.
Beyond the regular work of handling agendas and records, many clerks also serve in financial and administrative roles for their cities and towns. A combined municipal clerk and finance officer role, generally referred to as a clerk/treasurer, is common in small and midsize cities. In larger cities, a standalone municipal clerk position usually exists. While the statutory duties of a clerk are limited in scope, the reality is that municipal clerks play a critical and varied role in supporting the mayor, city council, managers and administrators.
The SC Municipal Finance Officers, Clerks and Treasurers Association offers training programs throughout the year covering the wide range of responsibilities of finance officers, clerks and treasurers, and it is a cosponsor of the Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Institute. MCTI is a three-year program that counts toward the International Institute of Municipal Clerks’ Certified Municipal Clerks designation. Its curriculum covers numerous areas:
- The forms of municipal government in South Carolina, as well as municipal powers and duties
- The role of the municipal clerk
- Financial management
- Records management
- Public administration, including planning, budgeting and staffing
- Election administration
- Conducting meetings
- Personal development
- Municipal law
The next MCTI session, Year 3, Session A, will take place September 11 – 13 in Columbia. The SC Municipal Finance Officers, Clerks and Treasurers Association will host its Joint Academy, in partnership with the SC Business Licensing Officials Association, October 8 – 11 on Hilton Head Island. Learn more online.