The Richland County Council is the eleven-member elected legislative body that governs Richland County, South Carolina. It sets local policy, adopts the annual budget, levies property taxes, and appoints the professional administrator who runs day-to-day county operations. The council operates under the council-administrator form of government, one of four county structures authorized by South Carolina’s Home Rule Act of 1975.
Who Serves on the Council
Eleven members sit on the council, one for each single-member district drawn within the county. Terms run four years and are staggered, so only a few seats appear on any one ballot. The 2026 cycle, for instance, includes races in Districts 1, 5, and 11; the rest wait until 2028. Elections are partisan, and candidates run with a party label.
At the start of each calendar year, the seated members elect a chair and a vice-chair to one-year terms. The chair presides over meetings, sets the agenda, signs official documents, and often represents the council in public. The vice-chair fills in when the chair is absent. Neither role carries extra voting power. Every member’s vote counts equally on every matter.
State law also requires the council to appoint a Clerk to Council, who records proceedings, maintains official legislative records, and serves as the public’s main point of contact for meeting documents.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 4 Chapter 9 – County Government
What the Council Does
The council’s authority comes from the Home Rule Act, codified in Title 4, Chapter 9 of the South Carolina Code. That statute requires every county council to adopt operating and capital budgets before the start of each fiscal year, identify anticipated revenue, and levy whatever taxes are needed to close the gap.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 4 Chapter 9 – County Government Richland County’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.2Richland County, South Carolina. Budget
Setting the millage rate is one of the council’s most consequential annual decisions. One mill equals one dollar of tax for every thousand dollars of assessed value, so even a small change can shift millions in revenue and move individual tax bills across the county.
Under the council-administrator model, the council appoints a professional County Administrator to serve as chief executive officer. The administrator manages the county workforce, carries out the policies the council approves, and oversees the departments that deliver services. Removing or replacing the administrator takes a council vote. The structure keeps elected members focused on policy and budgets rather than daily management.
Much of the detailed work happens in standing committees before items reach a full vote. The Administration and Finance Committee reviews budget proposals and spending requests. The Development and Services Committee handles public works, engineering, and operational service delivery. The Economic Development Committee works to attract businesses and support expansions. Ad hoc committees form for short-term tasks and dissolve when the work is done.3Richland County, South Carolina. Boards and Committees
How an Ordinance Becomes Law
Every general ordinance must pass three readings at three separate council meetings before it takes effect:
- First reading: Only the title is read aloud. No discussion or amendments.
- Second reading: The council may hold a public hearing and debate or amend the proposed language.
- Third reading: Must occur at least seven days after the second reading. Another public hearing can precede the final vote.
The three-reading process gives residents multiple chances to learn about proposed laws and weigh in.4Richland County SC. County Council
Emergency Ordinances
When a genuine threat to life, health, safety, or property demands immediate action, the council can bypass the normal schedule and adopt an emergency ordinance on the spot. At least two-thirds of the members present must vote in favor. Emergency ordinances take effect immediately but expire automatically after sixty-one days. They cannot be used to levy taxes, grant or extend a franchise, or change a service rate.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 4 Chapter 9 – County Government
Penalties for Violations
Unless a specific ordinance sets its own penalty, violating any provision of the Richland County Code can bring a fine of up to $500, up to thirty days in jail, or both. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, so costs climb quickly for anyone who ignores a notice.5Richland County. Richland County Code – Sec. 1-8 General Penalty, Continuing Violations
Attending a Meeting or Speaking
Regular council sessions are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the second floor of the Richland County Administration Building, 2020 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29204.4Richland County SC. County Council Special meetings can be called by the chair or a majority of members with at least twenty-four hours’ notice.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 4 Chapter 9 – County Government
Parts of each agenda are reserved for public hearings and citizen input. Residents who want to speak sign up on a sheet at the chamber entrance. Speakers address the chair rather than individual members, and comments at zoning-related hearings are limited to two minutes per person. The chair can cut off speakers who stray from the topic or become disruptive.
Rezoning a Property or Applying to a Board
Rezoning runs through both the Planning Commission and the full council. Property owners should expect four steps:
- Pre-application consultation with Zoning Division staff to discuss whether the request aligns with the comprehensive plan and the surrounding neighborhood.
- A Map Amendment Application filed with a plat or survey. The fee is $105.31 per ten acres or any portion of ten acres.
- A Planning Commission hearing, typically on the first Monday of the month, where staff present a compliance determination and citizens may speak for up to two minutes. The commission sends a recommendation to the council.
- A council zoning public hearing, usually on the fourth Tuesday of the month. If the council denies the request, the process ends. If it approves, the rezoning still needs two more readings to become final.
A rezoning is not complete until the council passes it on third reading and approves the third-reading minutes.6Richland County. Zoning
The council also appoints residents to a wide range of advisory boards, including the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Board of Assessment Appeals, Board of Voter Registration and Elections, Conservation Commission, and Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee. Openings are posted on the county website, and residents can apply through the council’s office.3Richland County, South Carolina. Boards and Committees
Finding Agendas, Minutes, and Records
The county posts meeting agendas and approved minutes on its website, along with video recordings of past sessions.7Richland County. Minutes and Agendas The archives let residents track where a proposed ordinance stands in the three-reading process or check how individual members voted.
For records not available online, the Clerk to Council’s office is the starting point. Residents can request copies of legislative materials or view the County Code of Ordinances in person. Because the clerk maintains the official record of every council action, that office is where you go to confirm the final text of an adopted ordinance or verify a past vote.