area, i.e., the "provision of water service,” which is a governmental function. See City of Beaufort, 325 S.C. at 180-82, 480 S.E.2d at 731-32. 14 . Other jurisdictions also recognize this fundamental principle. See Grassini v. DuPage Twp., 279 Ill.App.3d 614, 216 Ill.Dec. 602, 665 N.E.2d 860, 864 (1996) (“[I]t is contrary to the effective administration of a political subdivision to allow elected officials to tie the hands of their successors with respect to decisions regarding the welfare of the subdivision.”); id. ("This principle has not been confined in application to county governments.... Indeed, it has found expression with respect to employment decisions in ... the Municipal Code_” (citation omitted)); City of Hazel Park v. Potter, 169 Mich.App. 714, 426 N.W.2d 789, 793 (1988) (<HOLDING>); Morin v. Foster, 45 N.Y.2d 287, 408 N.Y.S.2d
holding that city attorneys promise in an oral settlement agreement for city to annex and rezone land was within the legal authority of the city of joliet to accomplish and were not absolutely void acts per se therefore city could be estopped from avoiding enforcement of contract holding that bond and miller did not apply because the plaintiff was appointed to the city council by the mayor rather than elected by the public holding similar agreement void on public policy grounds holding that a city manager was the final policymaker for purposes of section 1983 liability because of provisions in the norfolk city code requiring that all orders rules and regulations applicable to the entire police department must be approved by the city manager other than some police standard operating procedures holding that an employment contract between an outgoing city council and the city manager was void on public policy grounds because it attempted to take away the governmental or legislative power of the incoming council to appoint and remove public officers