Chapin Town Council voted 3-2 on Thursday to fire Town Clerk Susan Mills, but Mayor Bill Mitchell says he has no intention of letting that decision stick. Mitchell told council members he will not enforce their vote, will not give a replacement clerk access to town equipment, websites or the administrative side of Town Hall, and will not issue that person a paycheck.
A Split Vote Deepens an Existing Rift
Council members Ainslee Bost, Warren Burritt and Vicky Shealy voted to dismiss Mills at the specially called meeting, while Mike Clonts voted against the move and sided with Mitchell in opposing her firing, according to The State. The paper reports that council members accused Mills of responding only to Mitchell while ignoring requests from other members, and of failing to post meeting agendas publicly in a timely way or preserve their original wording. Bost also said Mills had been hired without council approval and worked hours that did not match Town Hall's stated opening times, the outlet reported.
Mitchell pushed back hard on the characterization of Mills' performance, saying the full council had approved her hiring after he brought her on as town clerk and arguing that airing an employee's job performance in public was inappropriate. He went further, saying the council had been disrespectful toward Mills and remarking, “I'm surprised Ms. Mills hasn't just walked off the job,” per the same account.
Mayor Claims 'Strong Mayor' Authority
Mitchell described his role under Chapin's government structure as that of a “strong mayor” with the power to manage, appoint and remove town employees, and he framed the council's dismissal vote as an overreach of that authority. He said any ordinance attempting to override the town's form of government is unlawful upon inception, the report notes. The four other council members countered that Mitchell was the one violating the law by refusing to follow the council's will, the outlet reported.
The clash turned personal when Bost told the mayor directly, “We don't work for you, Bill. You work for us,” adding, “You are breaking the law by not allowing us to perform our duties.” Bost also said published opinions from the South Carolina Attorney General's Office already favored the council's position, while Clonts suggested the town ask that same office to mediate the dispute, per the report. Mitchell, for his part, proposed the council consider mediation rather than have both sides hire attorneys and head to court.
What State Law Says, and What It Doesn't Resolve
The town's own structure lists the Town Council as made up of the mayor and four council members, with the mayor serving as chief executive officer, according to the Town of Chapin. Mills herself was identified in the council's July 21 meeting minutes as Chapin's municipal town clerk, credited with managing meeting records, FOIA requests and related administrative duties.
An excerpt of the South Carolina municipal code cited in state statutes indicates that under council and mayor-council forms of government, the council appoints the municipal clerk, according to the South Carolina Legislature. A separate excerpt from the state code states that a mayor may appoint, and when necessary for the good of the municipality remove, an appointive officer or employee, subject to the provisions of that chapter — though that excerpt is incomplete and does not resolve how the language applies to Chapin's clerk position specifically.
Months of Escalating Friction at Town Hall
Thursday's vote is the latest flashpoint in a feud that has simmered since July, when the council adopted a resolution expressing no confidence in Mitchell's leadership, with the mayor voting against it, according to town meeting minutes. The council later pushed forward ordinances meant to clarify legislative powers, the appointment of legal counsel and a council-legal liaison role, as reported by WIS-TV.
In September, the dispute boiled over again when a special-called meeting over the clerk position went into closed-door executive session and ended without a vote, after which the four other council members moved to adjourn and walked out, the station reported. Council members also unanimously requested municipal-government training from the Municipal Association at their August meeting, and officials attended that training session in late September, a step the council says underscores that Mitchell's refusal to follow decisions he considers illegal runs counter to advice given during the session.
The feud over Mills is not the first time Mitchell has threatened to take the fight to court. In a separate dispute over hiring the town attorney earlier this year, Mitchell said he would seek a court judgment on whether a council decision to control that hire violated his legal powers. Whether either side will ultimately turn to litigation, mediation or a request to the Attorney General's Office over the clerk's firing remains unclear.
