OPINION: Dillon's Curry won't leave post without a fight

Dillon County Administrator Charles Curry is not going without a fight. In an editorial earlier this month, we wrote Curry plowed into his job like a bull in a china shop and will leave with his tail between his legs. We were wrong. He’s no shrinking violet. Far from it.

Curry wants his job and is trying to stay in power, even though the battle clearly has divided the county and has been counterproductive in changing politics as usual.

Our commentary pointed out Curry’s failings as a manager. He failed to phase in change gradually rather than instantaneously. He naively believed he had a mandate three months ago to sweep into office and have everyone support his long list of changes.

In our opinion, Curry lacks the managerial ability to bring his team together for change, despite the fact many reforms are necessary. If he has lost support of the county council, his ability to be effective has been compromised.

Supporters can rally and sign petitions about replacing the county council instead of Curry, but those officials were elected and will have to face voters for the decision to fire Curry. That day of reckoning will come. Curry’s day of reckoning for moving too fast, too soon has come.

In the meantime, Curry should let the county council move forward in finding a replacement. The new administrator must have the finesse to initiate ideas without alienating constituents and employees who are not used to change.

Clearly, there has been an outpouring of support for Curry. He’s entitled to a public hearing before he’s dismissed unless he accepts behind-the-scenes overtures to accept a settlement and step down. And supporters want to have their say before Curry turns in his keys.

On Tuesday, the county council attempted to suspend Curry from office before his public hearing on his dismissal, scheduled for 4 p.m. July 22 in the Dillon County Council Chambers.
Curry showed up to work Tuesday as he has since receiving the letter of his firing June 16.

The county council expressed concerns over personal items Curry placed on his county computer.

In a letter to Curry, the council’s lawyer, Carl Muller, wrote: “Effective immediately, all of your duties and powers of Dillon County Administrator are suspended and you are no longer permitted in the office of the Dillon County Administrator.”

Curry disputed the suspension, saying county attorney Dan Shine informed him he was entitled to stay in office until the public hearing.

Obviously, the county council is worried about what Curry has been doing since his firing. He has been rallying supporters and trying to save some of the early attempts he made at reform.

“I am informed that you have placed certain of your personal information on a Dillon County computer,” Muller said in the letter. “You are to leave that alone so that it can be handled properly.”

The county council’s suspension of Curry underscored its decision to fire him, pending his hearing. At a public meeting July 7, the council should have voted on Curry’s fate, rather than waiting. We understand the council wanted to give time for settlement talks with Curry to succeed. But the wait doesn’t seem fair to anyone involved.

Obviously, if the county council was having second thoughts about keeping Curry, it would not have fired him in the first place.

Curry has support in the community. But his missteps in the first 90 days — everything from pushing for higher health-insurance costs for smokers to changing firefighter pay — cost him vital support from the very county council that hired him.

The potential was there for Curry to be the agent of change Dillon County needed. If only he would have taken his time to do the job more diplomatically.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper. Editorial Board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), James Bennett (regional editor), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (news editor), David Johnson (regional circulation director), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).