‘Emergency’ ordinances passed by Laurens City Council

Laurens City Councilwoman Alicia Sullivan, center, voiced some confusion over which ordinance she was allowed to bring before council in Tuesday night’s called meeting. Photo-Judith Brown

Laurens, South Carolina – Laurens City Council met in executive session for just over two hours Tuesday night before voting to adopt ordinances seeking to limit and investigate the office of Mayor Nathan Senn.

Council member Alicia Sullivan along with Cassandra Campbell, Marian Miller and Calvin Whit-mire requested the called meeting and voted in favor of the ordinances. Councilman Johnnie Bolt was the lone vote against them. Senn recused himself from the votes and Martin Lowry was absent.

Both ordinances passed despite a public warning from City Attorney Virginia P. Bozeman that as a legislative act, neither had “any legal significance.”

“This resolution does not serve a legal function as drafted,” Bozeman said. “Its enactment would be contrary to the law.”

It was not made clear in public session why the council members were targeting Senn and the mayoral office. There was no public discussion among council members prior to either vote.

The only discussion sought clarification from Sullivan as to which ordinances were to be voted on when she attempted to call a vote on a proposed ordinance that had not been discussed and was not in the printed agenda.

As written, the ordinances are designed to audit and check the financial records of the mayor’s office and “establishing investigative procedures, temporary safeguards, communication protocols, continuity measures, independent legal authority and referral authority in the event of credible allegations against the mayor or senior appointed officials.”

Despite the implications of the ordinance’s language, Miller read a statement saying there has been “no determination of wrongdoing by any individual.” 

“(The ordinances) are the adoption of a safeguard policy designed to provide a system of checks and balances within the city’s strong-mayor form of government,” Miller said.

Council members chat following Tuesday night’s meeting. Photo-Judith Brown

Bozeman said, however, that those remedies are already in place by statute, adding that she had numerous concerns about the ordinances, “including the authorization of actions that violate state law.”

Under the City of Laurens’ Mayor-Council form of government, Bozeman said,  “the ordinance exceeds the scope of powers held by the City Council.”

She also said that the ordinance did not meet the criteria for a valid emergency ordinance. Sullivan, who emailed the agenda for a failed called meeting on Monday because the date was wrong, used an emergency situation as the cause of the called meeting. Since it was not an actual emergency situation, the ordinance will require a second reading.

This story is on Page 1 of the Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025 issue of The Laurens County Advertiser.