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Richland Co. Administrator Fired Twice & Still Getting Paid

Richland County Administrator Gerald Seals has been fired twice this month, but is still being paid by the county. He wrote a letter to Council looking for answers.

Richland County, SC (WLTX) - Richland County has the second largest population in the state and a budget of nearly $900 million, but in the last month the county has fired their Administrator twice and he's still being paid.

In an eight page letter to Richland County Council, Gerald Seals said he wants to publicly address attacks to his character, asks council to "tell the truth" and correct all records to say that he "performed with excellence".

Seals has been fired twice this month, first on April 3 and again on April 9.

Council was split both times, voting 6-5.

"The prevailing six" as Seals refers to them consist of Norman Jackson, Paul Livingston, Seth Rose, Greg Pearce, Gwendolyn Kennedy and Jim Manning.

"The motion this evening was for Richland County to remove the County Administrator for the following reasons: unauthorized major change of county policy direction, rapid turnover of county staff, number three; sleeping during meeting and number four; council members Renaissance Program questions went unanswered," Manning said on April 9.

Joyce Dickerson, Bill Malinowski, Yvonne McBride, Chip Jackson and Dalhi Myers voted against the measure.

"Even assuming that we had the had the worst administrator on the planet this is not the way you handle a professional. We are not working in the Trump Administration," Myers said on April 3.

Seals declined to be interviewed, but in his letter to council he said the group's decisions did not follow the law. Seals said he was never made aware of a desire by council to let him go and said their reasons were character bashing insults that have personally and professional defamed him.

Seals said that he was praying with his eyes closed and was not sleeping during a meeting. He said he also warned council on issues surrounding the Transportation Penny Program, attempted to avert a potential fiscal crisis and sent detailed responses to council answering questions regarding the Renaissance Program.

Seals also alleged that council members have an above the law mentality, which has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. He said certain members asked him to fire employees because they "don't fit” or are "too old" and he said some created discomfort among female employees asking for a group hug.

Seals ended his letter by saying that he wants an opportunity to address council at a public hearing and hopes to continue working with Richland County.

Seals was hired in July 2016.

The Richland County spokesperson declined to comment on the letter and there is no word yet on when a public hearing may take place

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