Wellford mayor’s final act is 4-year contracts

WELLFORD, S.C. (AP) — The new mayor of Wellford says one of the final acts of the former mayor was to give six city employees four-year contracts.

The Herald-Journal of Spartanburg reports Wellford City Council approved the contracts Tuesday on Mayor Sallie Peake’s last day. The people given the four-year deals include two city clerks, a maintenance worker and the police chief.

New Mayor Tommy Watson was sworn in later in the day. He had no idea the contracts had been passed and is trying to decide what to do next.

An official with the Municipal Association of South Carolina says the contracts likely would not stand up to a legal challenge because mayors in cities with strong mayor governments like Wellford are given the authority to fire and hire employees on their own.

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Information from: Herald-Journal, http://www.goupstate.com/