H*4166(Rat #0191, Act #0182 of 1995)  General Bill, By Robinson, 
C.V. Marchbanks, Rice and Trotter
 A Bill to amend Act 260 of 1981, as amended, relating to the Board of Trustees
 of the School District of Pickens County, so as to provide that beginning with
 the 1998 election, the three-at-large seats on the Board shall be numbered
 consecutively and candidates shall file for and be elected from specific
 at-large seats, to stagger the terms of the three at-large members elected in
 1998, and to provide a filing fee for election to these offices.

   04/26/95  House  Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference HJ-50
   04/27/95  House  Read second time HJ-25
   04/27/95  House  Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day HJ-25
   04/28/95  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-1
   05/01/95  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-28
   05/01/95  Senate Referred to delegation from Pickens SJ-28
   05/09/95  Senate  Recalled from Pickens Delegation SJ-6
   05/09/95  Senate Amended SJ-6
   05/09/95  Senate Read second time SJ-7
   05/11/95  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments SJ-29
   05/16/95  House  Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-4
   06/06/95         Ratified R 191
   06/13/95         Became law without Governor's signature
   06/13/95         Effective date 06/13/95
   08/10/95         Copies available
   08/14/95         Act No. 182

AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 260 OF 1981, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PICKENS COUNTY, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT BEGINNING WITH THE 1998 ELECTION, THE THREE AT-LARGE SEATS ON THE BOARD SHALL BE NUMBERED CONSECUTIVELY AND CANDIDATES SHALL FILE FOR AND BE ELECTED FROM SPECIFIC AT-LARGE SEATS, TO STAGGER THE TERMS OF THE THREE AT-LARGE MEMBERS ELECTED IN 1998, AND TO PROVIDE A FILING FEE FOR ELECTION TO THESE OFFICES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

At-large seats numbered; terms staggered

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Act 260 of 1981 is amended to read:

"Section 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Public Educational System of Pickens County shall be directed and managed by the Board of Trustees of the School District of Pickens County. The board shall be comprised of nine members, six of whom shall be qualified electors from each of the districts for which members of the county governing body of Pickens County are elected and three shall be elected from the county at large. The at-large members shall be elected from the county at large for terms of four years each, and until their successors are elected or appointed and qualify, provided that beginning with the 1998 election, the three at-large seats shall be numbered consecutively as Seats 7, 8, and 9 respectively, and candidates for these offices shall file for and be elected from the county at large from specific at-large seats. In addition, in order to stagger the terms of the at-large members, of the three at-large members elected in 1998, Seats 7 and 8 shall serve terms of four years each and Seat 9 shall serve a term of two years. Thereafter, all at-large members shall be elected for terms of four years each. Only those electors residing in the particular district shall be eligible to vote for each of the six single-member trustees representing the district. The trustees from the single-member districts shall be elected for terms of four years and until their successors are elected or appointed and qualify.

All members of the board of trustees shall be elected in a nonpartisan election at the time of the general election in the year in which their terms expire.

Upon the termination of the term of each single-member district trustee, his successor shall be a qualified elector of the same district and shall be elected in a nonpartisan election to be held at the same time as the general election preceding the expiration date by the qualified electors of the district for a term of four years and until his successor is elected and qualifies. Vacancies on the board shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by appointment by a majority of the members of the board of trustees. The board of trustees shall elect the officers as it considers necessary."

Candidacy notices revised; filing fee

SECTION 2. Section 1A of Act 260 of 1981, as added by Act 290 of 1985, is amended to read:

"Section 1A. All persons desiring to qualify as a candidate shall file written notice of their candidacy with the county election commission at least thirty days before the date set for any election but not earlier than sixty days before an election. This notice of candidacy must be a sworn statement and shall include the candidate's name, age, voting precinct, single-member election district in which the candidate resides if a candidate for a seat on the board from one of the six single-member election districts, seat number the candidate desires to file for if a candidate for one of the three numbered at-large seats on the board, period of residence in the single-member election district or school district as applicable, and any other information the county election commission requires.

At the time of filing written notice of his candidacy with the county election commission, a candidate also shall pay a filing fee equal to one percent of the total salary for the term of this office or one hundred dollars, whichever amount is greater. These filing fees must be used to offset the costs of the elections.

The county commissioners of election shall conduct and supervise all elections for members of the board in the manner governed by the election laws of this State mutatis mutandi. The commissioners shall prepare the necessary ballots, appoint managers for the voting precincts, and do all things necessary to carry out the elections, including the counting of ballots and declaring the results. The commissioners shall advertise the date of the election sixty days preceding the election in the newspapers of general circulation published in Pickens County and shall publish a second notice two weeks thereafter. The cost of the elections is borne by Pickens County. The results of the election must be determined in accordance with the nonpartisan plurality method prescribed by Section 5-15-61 of the 1976 Code."

Present members to continue

SECTION 3. The present members of the Pickens County School Board of Trustees serving in office on the effective date of the provisions of this act shall continue to serve until their current terms of office expire, at which time their successors shall be elected in the manner then provided by law.

Time effective

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Became law without the signature of the Governor -- 6/13/95.