With a turnout of 700 voters, Blythewood, South Carolina, residents adopted council-manager government on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.  The change is effective after local elections in November 2025.  ICMA provided staff support to Blythewood leaders seeking advice on the campaign to adopt the plan. 

The issue driving the vote was whether the mayor should oversee the daily operations of the town government or whether a professional manager should have that authority. By a vote of 4-1 in May, town councilmembers called for a referendum to change from the mayor-council form to a council-manager form of government.  There had been ongoing tensions between the mayor and the town council, including the mayor’s effort last November to hire a deputy town advisor who was under investigation for alleged misconduct and was indicted in May 2025.

Blythewood, population 6,000, is a growing community, another factor that drove a majority of voters to choose the council-manager plan. 

ICMA provides advice, information, presentations, and other support to individuals and organizations promoting professional management and the council-manager form of government. Contact Rob Carty, rcarty@icma.org, for assistance. 

You can support these efforts by donating to ICMA’s Future of Professional Management Fund.