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South Carolina Constitution, Article VIII

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South Carolina/Constitution

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Article VIII, Local Government

18 sections · 0 paragraphs in this article.

All articles226 Art. I25 Art. II12 Art. III37 Art. IV21 Art. V27 Art. VI9 Art. VII15 Art. VIII18 Art. VIII-A1 Art. IX2 Art. X15 Art. XI4 Art. XII9 Art. XIII5 Art. XIV5 Art. XV3 Art. XVI3 Art. XVII15

18 provisions·Filtered byArt. VIII✕

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 1 Powers of political subdivisions continued
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The powers possessed by all counties, cities, towns, and other political subdivisions at the effective date of this Constitution shall continue until changed in a manner provided by law.
S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 2 Boundaries of counties
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Until changed by the General Assembly, as allowed by this Constitution, the boundaries of the several counties shall remain as now established.
S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 3 Number of counties
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No more than forty-six counties shall exist at any time, but the General Assembly may provide for a lesser number.
S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 4 Merger of counties
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The General Assembly shall provide by law for the merger of adjoining counties. Such mergers shall be permitted by the General Assembly only upon the request of the governing bodies of the counties or upon petition by ten percent of the registered voters in each of the counties i…

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S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 5 Merger of parts of counties with adjoining counties

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The General Assembly shall provide for the merger of a part or parts of a county with one or more adjoining counties upon request by the governing body of the county in which such part or parts are located, or upon petition by ten percent of the registered voters in the area desi…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 6 Removal of county seat

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No county seat shall be removed except by a vote of two thirds of the qualified electors of the county voting in an election held for that purpose; nor shall any county seat be established unless a majority of the electors voting on the question shall vote therefor.

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 7 Organization, powers, and duties of counties; special laws prohibited

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The General Assembly shall provide by general law for the structure, organization, powers, duties, functions, and the responsibilities of counties, including the power to tax different areas at different rates of taxation related to the nature and level of governmental services p…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 8 Incorporation of new municipalities; readjustment of municipal boundaries; merger of municipalities; special laws prohibited

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The General Assembly shall provide by general law the criteria and the procedures for the incorporation of new municipalities and for the readjustment of municipal boundaries and for the merger of incorporated municipalities provided that any city or town shall be organized with …

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 9 Organization, powers, and duties of municipalities

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The structure and organization, powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of the municipalities shall be established by general law; provided, that not more than five alternative forms of government shall be authorized.

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 10 Law or exemption for a specific municipality prohibited

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No laws for a specific municipality shall be enacted, and no municipality shall be exempted from the laws applicable to municipalities or applicable to a particular form of government selected by any municipality as authorized by Section 9 of this article.

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 11 Adoption and amendment of municipal charters

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The General Assembly shall provide by general law two or more optional procedures by which incorporated municipalities may select a charter commission for the framing, publishing, and adopting of a municipal charter and the making of amendments thereto. Any municipality so eligib…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 12 Consolidation of counties with municipalities and other political subdivisions

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Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Constitution, any county may consolidate with the municipalities and other political subdivisions within its limits into a single unit of government, which shall be known as a consolidated political subdivision. The General Assembly sh…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 13 Joint administration of functions and exercise of powers

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(A) Any county, incorporated municipality, or other political subdivision may agree with the State or with any other political subdivision for the joint administration of any function and exercise of powers and the sharing of the costs thereof. (B) Nothing in this Constitution ma…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 14 General law provisions not to be set aside

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In enacting provisions required or authorized by this article, general law provisions applicable to the following matters shall not be set aside:

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 15 Consent of local governing body to certain laws required

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No law shall be passed by the General Assembly granting the right to construct and operate in a public street or on public property a street or other railway, telegraph, telephone or electric plant, or to erect water, sewer or gas works for public use, or to lay mains for any pur…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 16 Acquisition and operation of public utility systems

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Any incorporated municipality may, upon a majority vote of the electors of such political subdivision who shall vote on the question, acquire by initial construction or purchase and may operate gas, water, sewer, electric, transportation or other public utility systems and plants…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 17 Construction of Constitution and laws

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The provisions of this Constitution and all laws concerning local government shall be liberally construed in their favor. Powers, duties, and responsibilities granted local government subdivisions by this Constitution and by law shall include those fairly implied and not prohibit…

S.C. Const. art. VIII, § 18 Assignment and regulation of territories for electrical and gas utilities

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Sections 15 and 16 of this article notwithstanding, the General Assembly shall provide by general law for the assignment and regulation of territories for electrical and gas utilities within consolidated political subdivisions, except within former municipal corporate limits as t…