Making official how Irmo already works
Two ways to run a town
South Carolina allows three forms of town government. Irmo’s choice on the ballot is between these two.
Council form
Council holds both lawmaking and administrative power, as a group.
Council-Manager form
Council makes the decisions; a manager it hires carries them out.
What changes and what doesn’t
| Council form (on paper today) | Council-Manager form (on the ballot) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who votes on laws, taxes and the budget | Mayor and Council | Mayor and Council (no change) |
| Who runs day-to-day operations | Council as a whole, which may hand duties to an administrator it hires | A professional Town Manager, hired by Council |
| Who hires and supervises staff | Council (it can delegate to an administrator) | The Manager, by state law |
| Who drafts the yearly budget | Council | The Manager drafts it; Council changes and adopts it |
| How Council works with staff | Members can be involved in operations | Members work with staff through the Manager (SC Code 5-13-40) |
| The Mayor | Presides, one vote like every Council member | Same: presides, one vote (no change) |
| Elections | Mayor and 4 Council members elected by Irmo voters | Same (no change) |
| Town services and taxes | Set by Council | Set by Council (no change) |
Stays the same
- You still elect the Mayor and all 4 Council members.
- Council still votes on every law, the budget and the tax rate.
- Town services, police and parks continue as they are.
- Council meetings stay open to the public.
Becomes official
- The Town Manager is the chief administrator under state law (SC Code 5-13-90).
- The Manager hires and supervises staff and drafts the budget for Council.
- Council members direct staff through the Manager, not one by one.
- Council can still hire or remove the Manager at any time.
Questions neighbors are asking
Will my taxes go up?
Nothing on the ballot changes taxes or fees. Council still sets the tax rate and adopts the budget every year, the same as now.
Does the Mayor lose power?
No. In both forms South Carolina law gives the Mayor the same role: running Council meetings, ceremonial duties and one vote, equal to every Council member.
Do we get a new employee or a new salary?
No. Irmo already employs a Town Administrator, Jim Crosland, who does the manager’s job today. The change makes that role official under state law.
Can Council fire the manager?
Yes. Under SC Code 5-13-70 the manager serves at the pleasure of Council, which can remove the manager with written notice and, if the manager asks, a public hearing.
What happens if the vote is No?
Irmo stays a Council form of government on paper. Council could keep using an administrator, but the legal structure wouldn’t match how the Town actually operates.
Can it be changed again later?
Yes. Voters can change the form again through another referendum, started by Council or by a petition signed by 15% of registered voters, no more than once every four years.
Council’s vote
Council approved putting the question to voters: first reading passed 5-0 on June 16, 2026, and final approval came in August. Every resident who is registered to vote in Irmo gets the final say.
Sources: South Carolina Code of Laws Title 5, Chapter 13 (Council-Manager form) and Chapter 11 (Council form); Municipal Association of South Carolina, Forms and Powers of Municipal Government; Irmo Town Council minutes, June 16, 2026. This page explains the question; it isn’t a Town publication.