In a letter to Horry County Council on Friday, County Administrator Chris Eldridge requested any conversations about his employment with the city be held in open session.
News13 obtained a copy of the letter from Friday’s special-called council meeting.
“It is my understanding that today’s special called meeting, with the only item listed being an executive session, concerns my employment with Horry County,” Eldridge said in the letter. “I request any such conversations follow state law and be held in open session.”
“I will not have my integrity attacked without means of defense in public,” Eldridge also said. “I should add that this effort appears to have been initiated by some who are the subjects of what is being investigated.”
Eldridge claims in his letter that he has been told “there may have been private discussions among council members” about placing him under suspension.
“I have done nothing wrong to be punished in such a way,” he said. “Doing so damages my career and makes me a target of retaliation.”
“As to the events that have created this situation, Horry County Attorney Arrigo Carotti accurately summarized them in his privileged attorney/client memo,” Eldridge also says. “I want to be clear that I wanted no part of any controversy.”
Eldridge further states he asked multiple times for a copy of a recording of a meeting between the MBREDC Director, Horry County Council Chair Johnny Gardner, and Luke Barefoot.
“Even so, once the MBREDC Director shared information on her meeting with Luke Barefoot and Johnny Gardner and that there was a recording of the meeting, I asked for a copy of the recording numerous times,” he said.
According to the website for Gardner’s law group, Barefoot is an office administrator.
Eldridge further said in his letter “included in that pursuit were emails, a scheduled meeting at MBREDC offices where the individuals did not show” and a playing of a three to four minute portion of an about 90 minute recording.
The memo was shared on December 19 and he was encouraged by some council members to report the matter to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Eldridge stated. “I do not know what, if anything, the investigation will conclude. That is clearly a responsibility of law enforcement.”
Eldridge claims he has never had a copy of the recording of the meeting, saying “I have no idea what is on the rest of it, having only listened to 3-4 minutes of what has been stated to be 90 +/- minutes long.”
He also says he is a “credentialed manager with the International City/County Management Association, with more than 21 years of local government experience” and that he has pledged to “uphold the tenets of the ICMA Code of Ethics.” He also said “following that code of ethics is included in my employment contract.”
In the last paragraph of his letter, Eldridge states “I wish to continue to fulfill my duties as Horry County Administrator and serve the people of this great community. I have enjoyed serving Horry County Council and look forward to continuing to accomplish great things for the citizens of the independent republic.”
Eldridge’s full letter can be read here.
