When a new council is elected and sworn in, it is time to elect a new mayor pro tempore.
Immediately after any general, or regularly scheduled, municipal election, SC Code Section 5-7-190 requires that a city or town council elect from its membership a mayor pro tempore. The councilmember who holds this title cannot hold it for any more than two years.
In instances where the mayor is absent or disabled, the mayor pro tempore acts as mayor in a temporary capacity. This service ends when the mayor returns, or upon the election of a new mayor in a case where the mayor’s office is vacant.
When an extended vacancy occurs, the mayor’s office is considered to remain vacant until it is filled by an election — the mayor pro tempore does not assume the office of the mayor permanently. However, the SC Office of the Attorney General found, in a 2009 opinion, that during the vacancy, the mayor pro tempore may be entitled to receive the mayor’s salary, if any.
Councils that operate under a committee system often use the same cycle to elect or appoint councilmembers to standing committees. Such procedures are generally specified in the municipality’s local rules of procedure.
The Municipal Association of SC hosts a virtual orientation session for newly elected officials titled, “You’ve Been Elected, Now What?” The next session will take place Wednesday, January 8. Learn more.