SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Surfside Beach town council voted Tuesday night to fire town administrator Micki Fellner and Deputy Administrator Jon Harrah.
Councilman Tim Courtney made the motion, which wasn’t on the regular council meeting agenda, to fire Fellner. Alongside Courtney, council members Mark Johnson, Ron Ott, and Randle Stevens voted in favor of the motion. Council members Julie Samples and David Pellegrino and Mayor Bob Childs voted against the motion.
“I’m stunned,” said Pellegrino. “We’re talking about this when we have a budget coming, a pier, a crisis timeline situation and we’re talking about eliminating the person who knows what’s going on.”
After leaving the meeting, Fellner told News13: “I was totally aware of what was going to happen tonight when they refused to go into executive session. It’s not a surprise.”
“I think it’s a train wreck,” said Mayor Childs. “And Mr. Courtney is driving this train wreck.”
The town will pay the remainder of Fellner’s contract.
Council discussed firing Fellner for “unacceptable conduct and violation of duties” at a rare Saturday meeting in August, but the motion didn’t have enough votes to pass.
The council also voted Tuesday night to reinstate former Planning Building and Zoning Director, Sabrina Morris. She was fired last year for “recording conversations in the workplace.”
At the end of the meeting Mayor Childs asked Finance Director, Diana King, if she would be interested in being the person department heads report to on Wednesday. She declined so a representative from the Municipal Association of South Carolina will take over temporarily.
