“L” is for Local Government Act (1975)

“L” is for Local Government Act (1975). The Local Government Act of 1975, otherwise known as the Home Rule Act of 1975, was passed by the South Carolina General Assembly to implement the revised Article VIII of the state constitution adopted in 1973 and dealing with local government. Prior to home rule in South Carolina, the General Assembly exercised nearly total control over local governments. Home rule came later to South Carolina than it did to many other states. The act provided three forms of city government and four forms of county government. The powers and duties of each of these forms are uniform across the state. In 1997 the General Assembly passed Fiscal Authority Act that restricted the fiscal autonomy of cities and counties—thus reducing the effect of the Local Government Act.