City Council FAQs

The City of Florence is a Council-Manager form of government. As a Council-Manager form of government, the Council is composed of a Mayor and six councilmembers. The City of Florence employs a manager to act as chief administrator of Council’s policies, and to the extent possible, separate the policymaking function from the administrative function.

According to South Carolina State Code:

“All legislative powers of the municipality and the determination of all matters of policy shall be vested in the municipal council, each member, including the mayor, to have one vote.”

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Employ a manager
• Enact ordinances of any nature and kind not prohibited by state law or constitution
• Appropriate funds and adopt a budget
• Authorize the borrowing of money or the issuance of bonds
• Levy taxes and set fees and rates
• Annex an area into the City
• Provide for an independent annual audit
• Provide for the general health and welfare of the municipality
• Appoint all committees, boards and commissions relating to the affairs of the City
• Adopt plats and the official map of the City

The City Council is divided into three districts seats, three at-large seats, and a Mayor who also serves at-large. The district seats each represent a third of the city and the at-large seats represent the entire City. This means that all citizens are represented by a majority of City Council, as they have four at-large representatives and one district representative for a total of five out of the seven.

Mayor Lethonia Barnes – At-Large
Mayor Pro Tempore George D. Jebaily – At-large
Chaquez T. McCall – At-large
Lashonda NeSmith-Jackson – District 1
J. Lawrence Smith, II – District 2
Bryan A. Braddock – District 3

Click here and enter your address to view which Council district you reside in.

City Council members are elected in a partisan, city-wide November election every even year. The mayor and two at-large seats are elected every four years (2024, 2028, 2032) and one at-large and three district seats are elected every four years (2026, 2030, 2034).

Each Council member’s email and phone number can be found by following this link. Mail may be addressed to 324 W. Evans Street, Florence, SC 29501.

The purpose of the City Council agenda is to provide an outline for the orderly and efficient conduct of their regularly scheduled monthly meetings. The agenda sets forth the specific items of business (generally ordinances and resolutions) and the order in which Council will consider them. This helps all interested parties monitor and understand the actions City Council takes.

City Council agendas are considered public records and are posted on the website no later than 24 hours prior to any meeting. Meeting archives can be found here.

A resolution is typically a non-binding expression of the City Council’s values or position on an issue. An ordinance is legislation which necessitates changes in our current laws, policies or procedures as a city, which is codified in the City of Florence Code of Ordinances. Ordinances require two readings while resolutions only require one reading.

Council meetings are open to the public. If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, meetings are live-streamed on the City YouTube Channel and are archived for later viewing here.
Citizens or organizations wishing to speak at a Council meeting must be placed on the agenda. Please click here for more information.

Regular meetings of City Council are held on the second Monday of each month at 1:00pm in City Council Chambers of the City Center building located at 324 W. Evans Street.

City Council begins reviewing applications to the City’s boards and commissions as terms expire and unexpected vacancies occur. For most City boards and commissions, applicants must reside or work within the city limits of Florence. Individuals interested in serving on a City board or commission may view current vacancies and complete an application online here. Applications are accepted throughout the year by the office of the Municipal Clerk and will be maintained on file for one year from the date of application.