S.C. Code Ann. § 5-19-290

No clause or provision of this article shall be so construed as to deprive the city council of such municipality of its control over the operations of the police and fire departments or the right to prescribe and require the performance of the duties of the personnel of such departments, nor so as to deprive such city council of the right to control the finances and fix the number of employees in the departments and the compensation to be paid each and to exercise the exclusive right to purchase all equipment and supplies for such departments.