Background
County Council has the responsibility of filling or recommending for filling vacancies on county boards or commissions. This process happens twice each year (spring and fall cycles).
Purpose:
Because nonprofit and philanthropic staff and volunteers have a unique perspective on needs and opportunities in the community, they are encouraged to apply for these positions. Applicants are encouraged to apply where their interests lie, which may be outside of their daily work role. Members of the nonprofit and philanthropic community can provide a benefit to county boards and commissions because they regularly work with boards, giving them a clear understanding of board roles, governance and mission creep.
Process:
The application can be found on the county website. This application can be submitted electronically through the website or submitted by mail, email, fax, or hand delivered to the Clerk to Council’s Office.
Requirements of applicants:
- Applicants must be registered to vote in Greenville County.
- Applicants must reside in the district for which they are seeking a position.
- Applicants may apply for only one board or commission at a time.
- Applicants must comply with all State laws regarding dual office holding.
- Applicants shall not be a party to an active legal action against the board or commission for which the applicant is applying.
- At the time of application, applicants must have attended at least one meeting of the board/commission on which they wish to serve.
Spring Cycle:
- February 15 – vacancies posted on County Council website (including duties of board members, qualifications for serving on certain boards, and the meeting schedule)
- March 1 through March 31 – applications accepted
- April 1 through April 30 – Committee of the Whole will host Meet and Greet opportunities with board applicants. Following the Meet and Greets, council members will meet in Executive Session to discuss personnel matters involving the potential appointment of a person(s) to the board or commission.
- May – at the first COW meeting, a ballot vote will be taken to elect applicants to fill the vacant seats on the County-wide boards and commissions. The results of the vote will be announced at that same meeting and ratified at the subsequent County Council meeting after appointments have been made. *
- June 1 – term begins
Fall Cycle
- August 15 – vacancies posted on County Council website
- September 1 through September 30 – applications accepted
- October 1 through October 31 – Committee of the Whole will host Meet and Greet opportunities with board applicants. Following the Meet and Greets, council members will meet in Executive Session to discuss personnel matters involving the potential appointment of a person(s) to the board or commission.
- November – at the first COW meeting, a ballot vote will be taken to elect applicants to fill the vacant seats on the County-wide boards and commissions. The results of the vote will be announced at that same meeting and ratified at the subsequent County Council meeting after appointments have been made. *
- December 1 – term begins
* In the event of a tie vote between applicants, a run-off election will be held with a limit of up to three subsequent votes to break the tie in the same evening. Any board election requiring more than three tied-ballot votes will be carried over until the next regular scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting, where the run-off voting may resume until the tie is broken.
For those boards and commissions where the Chairman of County Council has the authority to appoint member(s), the Chairman of County Council will announce his appointments no later than the second regularly scheduled County Council meeting in May for the Spring Cycle and November for the Fall Cycle.
Attendance policy: Greenville County relies on volunteers to help conduct the business of the County. Boards and commissions are comprised of volunteers that are an integral and necessary part of local government. It is important that board and commission members make every effort to attend all called meetings of the board or commission to which the member is appointed. Excessive absences can affect the board or commission’s ability to form a quorum or effectively conduct business. Board and commission members may be removed for excessive absences
Board member removal policy: Members may be removed by majority vote of County Council for the following reasons: conviction of DUI, conviction of felony or misdemeanor, excessive absences, or relocation outside of board’s jurisdictional boundaries.
To review complete policies, follow this link.
Keep in mind:
- County Councilmen are looking for applicants that understand the purpose of the board or commission and who are willing to do the work.
- Generally, county boards and commissions do not have term limits and it may be difficult to replace an incumbent.
Boards & Rosters
- Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee (Roster)
- Airport Commission (Roster)
- Airport Environs Planning Commission (Roster)
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (Roster)
- Arena District Commission (Roster)
- Board of Tax Assessment Appeals (Roster)
- Construction Board of Appeals (Roster)
- Greater Greenville Sanitation District Commission (Roster)
- Greenlink Board (Roster)
- Greenville Area Development Corporation (Roster)
- Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust(Roster)
- Greenville Technical College Area Commission (Roster)
- Historic Preservation Commission (Roster)
- Human Relations Commission (Roster)
- Library Board of Trustees (Roster)
- Metropolitan Sewer Sub-District (Roster)
- Museum Commission (Roster)
- Parks, Recreation and Tourism Advisory Board (Roster)
- Planning Commission (Roster)
- Redevelopment Authority (Roster)
- South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center Board (Roster)
- Thrive Upstate (formerly Disabilities and Special Needs Board) (Roster)
- Zoning Board of Appeals (Roster)
