Clarendon County Council voted Thursday evening to hire Walt Ackerman of Georgetown as the next county administrator, ending months of interim leadership but splitting the council in a closely watched decision.
The 3-2 vote followed a lengthy executive session during a special called meeting. Vice Chair John Coker moved to hire Ackerman, with Councilman Kurtis Rodine seconding. Councilmen Billy Richardson and William Frierson supported current Deputy Administrator Sharmane Anderson, who has been serving as interim administrator since July. With the council deadlocked, Chairman Jay Johnson cast the deciding vote in favor of Ackerman.
Council members acknowledged the difficulty of the choice. Richardson said Anderson, a Clarendon native, had shown strong leadership as interim administrator and was initially hired with succession in mind. “David Epperson hired her with the mind that eventually she will become our administrator,” Richardson explained. “And the question we asked him was, is she capable of being administrator here? He said … she certainly could handle the job.”
Frierson also stressed the importance of continuity, saying, “I think at this point, we should follow the practice that we’ve already begun in our succession plan … opposed to going outside.”
Coker and Rodine countered that Ackerman’s decades of government finance and administrative experience made him the stronger candidate. Coker added, “Sometimes somebody new … has no connections in this county, [or] favor anybody, would do the right thing.”
“This was the toughest decision I’ve had to make since I’ve been here,” Rodine said during the discussion. “I had to look at qualifications, I had to look at experience. I don’t owe anybody in this county any favors. I don’t owe them anything, and I can only make any decision … that I feel is best for the county overall.”
Council ultimately chose Ackerman, citing his experience. Ackerman, who grew up in Andrews, has served as Georgetown County’s human resources director since 2016 and previously worked in finance and administration for both Georgetown and Williamsburg counties. He has been involved in large-scale projects, including a $30 million building program in Williamsburg County, and more recently played a role in Georgetown County’s capital project sales tax initiative.
After the meeting was adjourned, Anderson stood and shook council members’ hands. She had been elevated unanimously as interim in July following the retirement of Administrator Lynden Anthony. Anderson holds degrees from Francis Marion University, Clemson University and Charleston School of Law.
The council did not immediately announce when Ackerman would begin his duties.
