WINNSBORO – A special meeting of Fairfield County Council was called for 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 1, for the purpose of discussing a candidate for the position of interim county administrator. Council members had been told in a Tuesday morning email from Council Chairman Moses Bell that they would be interviewing educator David L. Rawlinson. But Rawlinson backed out of the offer midday on Tuesday, hours prior to the meeting, citing the current turmoil on council, according to Bell.
Instead, Ridgeway builder Michael Squirewell and Director of Human Resources for the county, Brad Caulder, were presented to council members during executive session for consideration for the interim county administrator position.
No decision was made on either candidate and the meeting was adjourned.
Bell said in an interview with The Voice following the meeting that the two candidates are expected to be interviewed further during another special called meeting Thursday night at 5:30 p.m.
Rawlinson was the fourth candidate in as many weeks that was considered by council for the interim administrator position. The first candidate, a former Richland County government official, didn’t make it to the vote before he was dropped from consideration because of reports linking him to sexual harassment in the workplace at Richland County. The second candidate, educator Jim Rex, dropped out the day after council voted to approve him for the position, also citing turmoil on council. The third candidate, former Richland County administrator, Gerald Seals, reportedly had his offer for the position withdrawn by Bell the day following the vote and withdrawn formally by council four days later.
The county is at risk of violating state law if an interim or permanent administrator isn’t installed by Friday, June 4. Both County Administrator Jason Taylor and Assistant Administrator Laura Johnson have resigned their positions effective on that date.
For more information about the candidate search see the Thursday, June 3 issue of The Voice.
Could anyone please give me Mr. Squirewell’s credential’s for this job? A cursory look at court records over the last 10 years show a long list of actions filed against him personally and his company for a myriad of financial problems. Judgements, liens and foreclosures, etc. Is this the man the Fab 4 wants to run the County’s 44 million dollar budget? If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable.