The City of Sumter is known for establishing the first successful council-manager form of municipal government, a governance system that's been adopted across the nation.  The city is run by a city manager and governed by six city council members and a mayor.  All seven council members are elected for four-year terms in staggered elections.  City council members are chosen from single-member districts in non-partisan elections.

The County of Sumter, which celebrated its 200th birthday in the year 2000, is run by a county administrator and governed by a seven-member council.  Chosen from single-member districts in partisan elections, council members serve four-year terms.

Not only do the city and county share the same name, but they also share about everything else.  The relationship between the city and county is used as a model across South Carolina of how cooperation can reduce inefficiency. Click here for a printable version of public officials

Through two local school districts, Sumter County school children enjoy the best in South Carolina public education.  As a matter of fact, Expansion Management magazine's 1998 ratings issue said Sumter's public schools are the best in the state.  In addition, Sumter County is also home to numerous private and religious schools.

Click here for the 2007-2008 Points of Pride

Sumter is also home to the University of South Carolina Sumter where students can earn degrees in numerous fields.  Meanwhile, USC's main campus in Columbia is less than an hour away, offering post-graduate degrees to the doctorate level.

Also, Sumter is home to a regional technical school, Central Carolina Technical College (CCTC).  CCTC is partnered with the Sumter County Development Board, the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, and the community, offering workforce improvement classes, in addition to standard technical degrees.

Also, Morris College, a premier predominately-black college located in downtown Sumter offers four-year degrees in numerous fields.

There are also more than 100,000 volumes available to the public at the Sumter County Public Library , which has a yearly circulation of more than 215,000.  In addition to the main library downtown, the library system has three branches and a bookmobile.