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Ravenel Center Open House January 20, 2012
2011 State of the County Address
Redistricting Submission
Mark Clark Expressway (I-526) Information:
West Ashley Senior Center:
Sewee-to-Santee Summit Meeting Notes:
Boeing incentives package:
County Council makes policy decisions for Charleston County, as established in state law. Council's nine members serve four-year staggered terms and are elected from single member districts. Council members serve on a part-time basis and each member receives an annual salary of $14,352. The Council Chairman is allocated an extra $3,000 per year for the performance of extra duties.
County Council generally meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month and holds committee meetings on the Thursday prior to Council meetings. There are seven standing Council committees:
- Finance
- Planning/Public Works
- Public Safety/Health
- Recycling/Solid Waste
- Administrative Policy/Rules
- Economic Development
- Audit
The public can view the meetings in a variety of ways:
- Attend the meetings in person
- Watch them live on the County’s Web site
- Watch them on Comcast government channel 60 at 7 p.m. on Friday nights following meetings.
Under the S.C. Freedom of Information Act, all meetings are open to the public. Meeting agendas are posted in the Lonnie Hamilton, III, Public Services Building, on this Web site and sent to anyone who requests notice. To be added to Council’s notification list, please contact the Clerk of Council’s office at (843) 958-4030.
The primary areas for which Council is required to set policy are:
- Establishing the community vision
- Stating the organizational mission
- Defining any area of the County Administrator's authority not specifically addressed by state law
- Organizing the manner by which Council business is conducted.
County Council serves as a link between County government and the citizens, municipalities and agencies located within its boundaries, and also represents the area’s concerns and interests when dealing with other local, state, federal or international governments. Council is responsible for approving an annual budget to fund County operations, including the determination of any necessary taxes or fees.
A Clerk of Council and Deputy Clerk provide administrative support and maintain official records of Council meetings and activities. A County Administrator, hired by Council, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the County. County Council elects a Chairman annually to act as its spokesperson and preside at its meetings.
History
Counties were first laid out in South Carolina in 1685 and have undergone many changes since that date. Not until the 1940s did Charleston County government, as we know it today, begin to take shape. In 1948, voters approved a referendum creating a Council-Manager form of government in Charleston County, the first such local government in South Carolina. On January 4, 1949, the newly elected County Council held its first meeting and appointed a County Manager. With passage of the Home Rule Act in the 1970s, Charleston County Council adopted the Council-Administrator form of government.
Contact Information
Clerk of Council Office
Address:
Lonnie Hamilton, III, Public Services Building
4045 Bridge View Drive
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 958-4030
(843) 958-4035 (Fax)
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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