Title 6, Local Government—provisions Applicable to Special Purpose Districts and Other Political Subdivisions

(A) In addition and supplemental to other powers granted to governmental entities of the State, a governmental entity may: (1) jointly plan, finance, develop, acquire, purchase, construct, reconstruct, improve, enlarge, own, operate, and maintain an undivided interest as a tenant…

This chapter does not empower a joint agency to make retail sales of services to residential, commercial, or industrial consumers beyond the service areas of its members, as those areas may be constituted from time to time, nor does it alter the service area of a governmental ent…

(A) Two or more governmental entities may determine by resolution, as appropriate, that it is in their best interests and those of their residents to create a joint agency for the purpose of: (1) undertaking the planning, financing, development, acquisition, purchase, constructio…

(A) Upon fulfilling the requirements of Section 6-24-40, each governmental entity participating in the proposed joint agency shall appoint by resolution one representative to the proposed joint agency. Two or more appointed representatives shall file with the Secretary of State a…

(A) Management and control of the joint agency is vested in a board of directors consisting of the number of directors specified in the application as filed or as amended. The governing body of each member of the joint agency shall appoint the number of representatives provided, …

(A) After a joint agency is created, another governmental entity may become a member by: (1) adopting a resolution complying with the requirements of Section 6-24-40, including publication of notice; (2) submitting an application to the joint agency; and (3) receiving approval of…

If the board of directors of a joint agency and the governing body of each of its members determine by resolution that the purposes for which the joint agency was formed have been fulfilled substantially and that all bonds issued and all other obligations incurred by the joint ag…

The board of directors of a joint agency may create an executive committee, the composition of which must be set forth in the bylaws of the joint agency and reflect a fair representation of the members. The executive committee may exercise powers during intervals between the boar…

This chapter may be cited as the "Joint Authority Water and Sewer Systems Act".

A joint system shall have all the rights and powers of a public body politic and corporate of this State, necessary or convenient to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including, without limitation, the power or right to: (1) have perpetual succession; (2) sue and be sued;…

A joint system may incur debt for any of its purposes and may issue bonds pledging to the payment as to both principal and interest the revenues, or any portion, derived or to be derived from all or any of its projects and any additions and betterments or extensions or contributi…

(A) A joint system may issue bonds for the purpose of paying all or any part of the cost of any of the purposes authorized in this chapter. The principal of, premium, if any, and the interest on the bonds are payable solely from the respective funds provided for such payment by t…

In the discretion of the commission of the joint system, any bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter may be secured by a trust agreement by and between the joint system and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company or bank having the powers of a trust company …

The bonds are special obligations of the joint system issuing them. The principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the bonds are not payable from the general funds of the joint system, nor do they constitute a legal or equitable pledge, charge, lien, or encumbrance upon any o…

A joint system may provide by resolution for the issuance of refunding bonds of the joint system for the purpose of refunding outstanding bonds that have been issued under the provisions of this chapter, including the payment of any redemption premium and interest accrued or to a…

(A) A joint system organized only for the purpose of creating a financing pool may issue from time to time its construction notes for the purpose of creating a financing pool and providing funds to defray the cost of administration of the financing pool and the costs of issuance …

A joint system may not pledge the full faith, credit, or taxing power of its members when borrowing money or issuing a bond, note, or other obligation. Only revenues and other funds available to the joint system may be used to pay or pledged to the repayment of any notes, obligat…

A joint system may fix, charge, and collect rents, rates, fees, and charges for its services. For so long as any bonds of a joint system are outstanding and unpaid, the rents, rates, fees, and charges must be fixed to provide revenues at least sufficient, together with other avai…

The resolution authorizing the bonds or construction notes of any issue or the trust agreement securing the bonds or construction notes may provide that any of the monies may be temporarily invested and reinvested pending disbursements and the securities and other investments pro…

Any holder of bond or construction notes issued under the provisions of this chapter or any of the coupons appertaining to them, and the trustee under any trust agreement, except to the extent the rights given by this chapter may be restricted by the trust agreement or the resolu…

An authority may contract to buy from the joint system water required for its present or future requirements, including the capacity and output, or a portion or share of one or more specified projects. An authority also may contract for the collection or treatment of wastewater, …

A joint system is an instrumentality of local government, and is authorized by this chapter exclusively for the performance of governmental functions, and the income of a joint system is exempt from state taxes.

Personnel employed or appointed by a member to work for a joint system shall have the same authority, rights, privileges, and immunities including coverage under the Workers' Compensation laws which the officers, agents, and employees of the appointing member enjoy within the ter…

The income, profit, or assets of a joint system may not inure to the benefit of an individual or private entity, except for a joint authority water and sewer system created under this chapter.

There shall be an annual audit of each joint system and reports given to the governing body of each of the members. The costs shall be considered as part of the construction costs or part of expenses of administration.

It is lawful for any executor, administrator, guardian, committee, or other fiduciary to invest any monies in his hand in bonds and construction notes issued under the provisions of this chapter.

The commission of any joint system may make application for grants and enter into contracts for and accept grants in aid and loans from the federal and state governments and their agencies in connection with the planning, acquiring, constructing, expanding, maintaining, and opera…

Whether or not the bonds and interest coupons appertaining to them and construction notes are of a form and character as to be investment securities under Chapter 8 of Title 36, all bonds and interest coupons appertaining to them and construction notes issued under this chapter a…

The principal and interest on the bonds, notes, construction notes, or other evidences of indebtedness issued pursuant to this chapter have the tax-exempt status prescribed by Section 12-2-50.

The provisions of this chapter must be liberally construed.

For purposes of this chapter: (1) "Joint Authority Water and Sewer System" or "joint system" means a government entity organized under this chapter to undertake or acquire a water or sewer project. (2) "State" means the State of South Carolina. (3) "Project" means a project under…

In addition to all other project purposes, the joint system formed under the Joint Authority Water and Sewer Systems Act is authorized to purchase, construct, acquire, own, operate, maintain, repair, and improve any and all works, improvements, facilities, plants, equipment, tran…

(A) The governing body of an authority may join another authority to form a joint system after ascertaining by resolution that a joint system best serves the interests of the authority, its citizens, and its customers. (B) A joint system may be formed: (1) to plan, finance, devel…

A reference to the purpose of a project in this chapter pertaining specifically to water includes all the purposes as provided in Sections 6-25-20(3) and 6-25-25 and a power or authority provided for in this chapter to a joint system or a member of a joint system may be exercised…

An authority adopting a resolution to create a joint system shall publish notice of the adoption of the resolution in a newspaper of general circulation within the county in which the governing body is located. The publication must be made once a week for two consecutive weeks fo…

The General Assembly finds that: (1) The availability of water and sewer services to assist economic development and to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of its people is a very critical matter for this State. (2) It is appropriate to make it possible for a member of a …

(A) The governing bodies of the members of a joint system shall form an agreement specifying the number of commissioners to govern the joint system pursuant to Section 6-25-60. (B) The proposed members of a joint system shall jointly file an application with the Secretary of Stat…

(A) The management and control of a joint system is vested in a commission that may consist of no fewer than five members and no more than eleven members. A commissioner has one vote and may have additional votes as a majority of the members of the joint system determines. Notwit…

(A) After the creation of a joint system, any other authority may become a member of the joint system upon: (1) adoption of a resolution or ordinance by the governing body complying with the requirements of Section 6-25-40 including publication of notice; (2) submission of an app…

Whenever the commission of a joint system and the governing body of each of its members shall by resolution or ordinance determine that the purposes for which the joint system was formed have been substantially fulfilled and that all bonds issued and all other obligations incurre…

The commission of a joint system may create an executive committee, the composition of which must be set forth in the bylaws of the joint system. The composition of the executive committee shall afford a fair representation of the members. The executive committee may exercise suc…

This chapter may be cited as the "State Aid to Subdivisions Act".

There is created the Local Government Fund administered by the State Treasurer. This fund is part of the general fund of the State. The Local Government Fund must be financed as provided in this chapter.

(A) In the annual general appropriations act, the General Assembly must appropriate funds to the Local Government Fund. (B)(1) In any fiscal year in which general fund revenues are projected to increase or decrease, the appropriation to the Local Government Fund for the upcoming …

(A) No later than thirty days after the end of the calendar quarter, the State Treasurer shall distribute the monies appropriated to the Local Government Fund as follows: (1) Eighty-three and two hundred seventy-eight thousandths percent must be distributed to counties. Of the to…

From funds distributed to the county pursuant to Section 6-27-40, a county council shall provide a reasonable amount of funds for all county offices of state agencies for which the council is required to provide funding by state law.