Dillon County

Council-Administrator Form Of Government

Dillon County Government operates under the Council-Administrator form of government. The Council in the Council-Administrator form of government shall consist of not less than three members nor more than 12 members. Council members are again elected either for two- or four-year terms of office. The Administrator is an appointive official employed by the council who is to be the administrative head of the county government responsible for administration in all departments subject to the council’s control. The Council may employ the administrator for a definite term or not, at its discretion. Should the Council decide to terminate the administrator, he shall be given a written statement of the reasons for termination and has the right to a public hearing at a Council meeting.

The powers and duties of the County Administrator are outlined in state law and include the following:

(1) serving as Chief Administrative officer of the County;
(2) executing the policies, directives and legislative actions of the Council;
(3) directing and coordinating operations of the County;
(4) preparing annual operating and capital budgets for the Council, and requiring such reports, estimates and statistics as necessary from county departments and agencies;
(5) supervising the expenditure of appropriated funds;
(6) preparing financial and administrative reports for the Council;
(7) administering County personnel policies, including salary and classification plans approved by Council;
(8) employing and discharging County personnel, subject to council appropriation of funds for that purpose;
(9) and performing other duties as required by the council.

The Administrator is specifically directed by law to inform the council of anticipated revenues and the amount of tax revenue required to meet the financial requirements of the County when he presents proposed operating and capital budgets to the Council.

As in the Supervisor form, the Administrator has no authority over any elected officials of the County whose offices were created by the State Constitution or laws, with the exception of applying general organizational policies adopted by the Council. And, except for purposes of inquiries and investigations, the County Council shall not deal with County officers and employees who are subject to the direction and supervision of the Administrator except through the Administrator. Neither the Council nor its members are to give orders or instructions to County employees.

County Administrator Responsibilities

The Manager is hired by the Dillon County Council to serve as the County’s Chief Administrative Officer. Therefore, the Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of County Government as well as, the following:

• Directs and coordinates activities of Dillon County Government overseeing all County Departments and working closely with all elected officials.
• Executes policies, businesses, directives, and legislative actions of Council
• Informs Council of anticipated revenues, etc., including taxes, other governments, and community groups
• Prepares reports for Council on finances and administrative activities
• Supervise the spending of County funds as directed by Council or in accordance with the approved County budget
• Presents annual budget requests to Council for approval
• Responds to requests for information or assistance from individuals
• Works with Dillon County’s elected officials in reaching common goal
• Serves as a County liaison to State and Federal agencies and in cooperation with neighboring county and city governments.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests

Dillon County Government recognizes the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (South Carolina Code 30-4-10) enacted by the South Carolina General Assembly gives every citizen the right to access government meetings, documents and records. By standardizing the Dillon County Government’s procedures for processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and establishing reasonable fees for such requests, the County will ensure its compliance with FOIA and its intended goal of transparency of County operations and policies. For more information you can click on the following link:

• Citizen’s Guide to South Carolina FOIA
• Dillon County FOIA Policy

All requests for information pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) must be made in writing and submitted in person or by mail or email to the Dillon County Administrator.

• Dillon County FOIA Request Form (not required but to be used as a guide)

To ensure accuracy in the County’s response, all requests should be as descriptive as possible. In accordance with FOIA, Dillon County Government must:

• for records less than 24 months old, notify the person making the request of the County’s determination as to the public availability of the requested public record1 within 10 working days (excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) and produce the requested information within 30 calendar days of the later of either County’s notification as to the availability of the requested public record or the date an advance deposit is made if required by the County.
• for records more than 24 months old, notify the person making the request of the County’s determination as to the public availability of the requested public record1 within 20 working days (excludes Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) and produce the requested information within 35 calendar days of the later of either County’s notification as to the availability of the requested public record or the date an advance deposit is made if required by the County.

A written FOIA request is not required to obtain the following:

• Minutes of meetings for past six months
• Documents produced by the County or its agents and distributed to or reviewed by members of the public body during a public meeting in the past six months
• All reports related to the nature, location and substance of a crime committed in last 14 days
• Documents identifying individuals confined to any jail, detention center or prison in the past three months (excluding restricted juvenile records)

To assist citizens making FOIA requests, Dillon County Government has developed the attached suggested FOIA Request Form. This form is only intended to ease the process for citizens when making their written FOIA requests and is not a requirement by the County to process any written requests it receives.

Some FOIA requests may require staff time and other costs incurred by the County.  In this event, the County has a reasonable fee schedule that is listed on the following FOIA Request Form. 

In most instances, the County can identify, locate, and make copies if needed of the requested information at no charge or a reasonable cost.  However, In the event a request requires a large volume of documents that require a lengthy amount of time by staff to research, locate, copy, review and provide documents and data the County may impose a fee appropriate for the amount of time and expense incurred to respond to the request.  If a higher fee applies, up to a 25% deposit based on an estimated cost determined by the County Administrator will be charged to the person or persons making the FOIA request.   This deposit, if required, must be paid prior to staff beginning the FOIA process. 

Information pertaining to fees for collecting information and providing copies is listed on the request form. If you have additional questions about the FOIA process or possible fees, please contact the County Administrator.

• Dillon County FOIA Request Form
• Dillon County FOIA Policy

Violations of FOIA Law

Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 30-2-50, a person or private entity shall not knowingly obtain or use personal information obtained from the County for commercial solicitation directed to any person in this State. All persons making FOIA requests to the County are hereby notified that all persons obtaining or using public records for commercial solicitation directed to any person in this State is prohibited. A person knowingly violating the provisions of S.C. Code Ann. § 30-2-50 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars or imprisoned for a term not to exceed one year, or both.

The determination is not required to include a final decision or express an opinion as to whether specific portions of the documents or information may be subject to redaction according to exemptions provided for by Section 30-4-40 or other state or federal laws.

Dillon County adheres to the Family Privacy Protection Act of 2002 which sets forth the standards for redactions and/or denial for commercial solicitation requests.

The County also has a County FOIA Policy. Any questions about Dillon County Government’s FOIA policy should be directed to the County Administrator. To submit a FOIA request, please contact and send formal requests to:

Dillon County Administrator
109 S 3rd Avenue
P.O Box 449
Dillon, SC 29536

Phone: (843) 774-1401
Fax: (843) 77-1443
eMail: tharper@dilloncountysc.org

Additional Information & Resources

Citizen’s Guide to South Carolina FOIA

Family Privacy Protection Act of 2002