The City of Sumter is governed under the Council-Manager form of government. Sumter has the distinction of being the first city in the United States to adopt this form of government.
The Mayor is elected at-large, with six Council members elected from individual wards. The Council's only employee is the City Manager, who serves at Council's pleasure and administers the day-to-day responsibilities of the City.
City Council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month, except the first Tuesday in July. The first meeting of each month is held at 1 p.m.; the second meeting is held at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers on the 4th floor of the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main Street. Enter through the back parking lot entrance and take the elevator to the 4th floor.
City Council hosts a public comment period at each third Tuesday meeting. If you are a citizen of the City of Sumter and wish to speak to Council during the "Comments by City Citizens" period, please complete the sign-in sheet in the lobby of Council Chambers before the meeting begins. The Clerk will collect the sheet ten (10) minutes before the meeting begins to verify addresses and city residency. Comments are limited to no more than three (3) minutes.
Section 2-61 of the Sumter City Code provides: "Any citizen of the city shall be entitled to an appearance before the council at any regular meeting concerning any city matter, with the exception of personnel matters. Persons desiring to speak must notify the city clerk prior to the beginning of the meeting."
View Council meeting agendas or complete the Public Comment Form.
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