Council narrows field for county administrator

The Laurens County Council has called two special meetings this week – on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 3-4 – as the search for a new Laurens County Administrator heads toward a conclusion.

County Council Chairman Jeff Carroll said the council will interview a list of seven candidates over the two days of executive sessions with the hopes of narrowing down the field to three finalists by the end of Thursday’s meeting.

“This is the first review of the candidates that we’ve done as a council,” Carroll said. “So, I look forward to some robust conversations to determine our finalists.”

Council voted to contract the Greenville-based search firm, Find Great People to aid find suitable candidates for the position. Find Great People canvassed each of the seven members of county council, asking them their priorities for the next county administrator.

“There was a lot of interest, and I believe we have some really highly qualified candidates, any of whom could be successful here,” Carroll said. “I believe the right person will be revealed through the interview process.”

Carroll said he expects the initial interviews to be conducted online with in-person interviews for the eventual three finalists.

“Speaking for myself and on behalf of council, we want to see someone with the required skill sets to be able to manage a growing community because this county certainly has development concerns,” he said. “We have to manage that development in a place with environmental and historical significance.”

Carroll said it is also important for the new administrator to work with employees as partners to move the county forward.

Former Administrator Thomas Higgs resigned in April to accept the same position for Colleton County in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Higgs served as Laurens County’s administrator for four years after two years as assistant and interim city manager in Clinton.

Laurens County is seeking its third administrator in the past nine years. Jon Caime was hired in 2016. He was placed on leave and then fired in 2021.

Melissa Ferqueron, who served as assistant county administrator under Higgs, was elevated to interim administrator following his resignation and is expected to be among the seven candidates to be interviewed this week.

During Wednesday’s executive session, council will also receive legal advice in relation to potential lawsuit from the developers of Cambridge Farms, a proposed residential development in Clinton. The “threatened” litigation is over the denial of a Preliminary Plat for the proposed subdivision.