Council Members
 

The Beaufort City Council is composed of five members, including the Mayor.  All are elected at-large to four-year, staggered terms, with elections held every two years.  Council members elect a Mayor Pro Tem from within the body to serve in the absence of the Mayor.

City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and at occasional special meetings throughout the year, as needed.  Meetings are typically held at Beaufort County Council Chambers at the County office complex on the corner of Ribaut Road and Boundary Street.  Regular meetings begin at 6 p.m.

Council members do not maintain offices at City Hall, however official correspondence may be sent to the attention of the City Clerk at P.O. Drawer 1167, Beaufort, South Carolina 29901.
 
Mayor Bill Rauch

P.O. Box 1066
Beaufort, SC 29902
524-0030 (Home)
524-1234(Work)

brauch@charter.net
Mayor Rauch has served on City Council since 1993 and has been Beaufort's Mayor since 1999.  Mayor Rauch moved to Beaufort in 1988 and started a publishing company.  His political handbook, Politicking, was released in 2004.  He has co-authored two books with former New York Mayor Ed Koch.  Before arriving in Beaufort, Mayor Rauch served under Koch in a number of key staff positions, including press secretary.
 

Mayor Pro Tem
George O'Kelley, Jr.
2007 North Street
Beaufort, SC 29902
(843) 522-2043 (Home)
(843) 524-3233 (Work)

 


Councilman O'Kelley was again elected to City Council in 2004 after a 13 year hiatus from the governing body.  He served the Citizens of Beaufort as a Councilman from 1979-1981 and as a Municipal Judge.  Councilman O'Kelley is a retired U.S. Marine and a local attorney with his own practice in downtown Beaufort.
 
Councilwoman
Donnie Ann Beer
P.O. Box 1171
Beaufort, SC 29901
379-6099 (Home)
379-2750 (Work)

dbeer@hargray.com


Councilwoman Beer first served on City Council in 1991.  She has been an ardent supporter of Beaufort's efforts to retain its military presence, serving on the Chamber of Commerce's Military Enhancement Committee.  Ms. Beer resides in Beaufort and owns her own small business, Amenities, Southern Style, in Beaufort.
 
Councilman
Gary Fordham
860 Ribaut Road
Beaufort, SC 29902
524-3334 (Home)

indiana@hargary.com


Councilman Fordham has served on City Council since 1999, but has vast prior experience in local government.  Fordham served for 16 years on the Beaufort County Council, representing City residents.  Councilman Fordham is a retired lawyer and a lifelong resident of Beaufort.
 

Councilman
Mike Sutton

809 Craven St.
Beaufort, SC 29902
252-5687

msutton@hargary.com


 


Councilman Sutton was elected to City Council in 2006.  He is a retired U.S. Coast Guardsman and has served as the Vice Chairman of the Beaufort Historic District Review Board.  Mr. Sutton served as a Deputy Sheriff with Beaufort County’s Sheriff’s Department before taking his current job as a General Contractor with a local property development company.  Mr. Sutton is married to Nannette B. Brown of Beaufort and they own a retail shop on Bay Street.