WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor submitted his resignation to County Council earlier today, effective June 7, 2021.
Taylor sent the short, to-the-point email to Chairman Moses Bell and the other six council members at noon, Thursday, April 8.
“After careful consideration, it has become clear to me that it is time that I pursue other opportunities. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time serving as the County Administrator. Fairfield County still has many immediate challenges that must be addressed, but with record recent investments and jobs from new industry, along with the planning being done for needed infrastructure, the County is on a path to a bright future. Please accept this letter as my official resignation to be effective June 7, 2021.”
Taylor said he has not had a response from Bell at this time.
Taylor’s resignation follows months of his beratement at public council meetings from new County Council Chairman Moses Bell and new council member Shirley Greene. Bell also brought pressure on the county’s attorney Tommy Morgan who resigned in January. During that time two other top employees left the county’s employ. Also in January, the county’s new leadership limited Taylor’s contract to five months, and last month Bell ordered Taylor to discontinue all advertising with The Voice and to instead place the ads in the county’s ads in a newspaper published out of Camden.
Council hired Taylor in May, 2016, after the county had gone through a three year upheaval that included the resignation of the county administrator, two investigations by SLED and an election that turned over the majority of council.
During his five year tenure, Taylor led the county to new heights in a number of areas. He oversaw an actual investment of over $100 million in the county, brought in six new industries and expansions that brought almost 1,000 high paying jobs and exhausted the entire industrial building inventory. During this time, the county sold the spec building and facilitated the sale of the Walmart building, the Fazio building, the Mack Truck building and the Qualex building.
Taylor was instrumental in the development of the 1,200 acre megasite – now one of the top available industrial sites in the state.
Comment received by The Voice from County Council Chairman Moses Bell after this story was posted: “We have received correspondence from Jason Taylor, resigning his position as Fairfield County Administrator, effective June 7, 2021. We are thankful to Jason for his efforts to improve the economic environment in Fairfield County and we look forward to continuing our growth as a community. The County Council meets again on Monday, April 12, 2021, at which time we are likely to discuss this matter and take appropriate actions. This is a time for us all to work together.” –Moses Bell
Related: Council abruptly reduces county administrator’s employment to 5 months