It has been about two weeks now that our interim county administrator Rodney Berry has been on the job.
When our former county administrator returned in 2010, our sage former county attorney and county administrator Charles Curry offered some thoughts on how the return of this administrator could be good for Dillon County.
While it was written from the perspective that our former county administrator was nearing retirement and his 30-month contract would help him reach that plateau, Curry’s letter is still good advice and a good reminder  to any administrator who wants to do a great job and has the heart of Dillon County in mind.
Here are a few points from Curry’s letter from 2010:
—“He doesn’t have to do ‘special’ favors for any one council member.”
—“He has the opportunity to finally run Dillon County the way it is supposed to be run.”
—The Council (as a body and not individually) makes the rules and the administrator carries them out…He doesn’t have to listen to individual council members. Only when they meet at a public meeting and take a majority vote, does he have to act.”
—“He doesn’t have to hire a councilman’s relative” (or a councilman’s friend or person to which the councilman owes political payback—our words.)
—“He can hire the most qualified applicant.”
—“He can discipline a fireman who is not at his station when a fire call comes in.”
—“He doesn’t have to work someone’s drive.”
—“He doesn’t have to take in a road that doesn’t meet the county’s requirements.”
He only has to do what the council votes as a majority for him to do. He doesn’t have to take orders from individual council members.
At this early stage in his administration, Rodney Berry has the opportunity to be the man, the Marine, and the administrator who the public hopes he will be and that he can be. He can be the administrator that boldly leads Dillon County on the path of progress that we now embark on working for the good of “ALL” of Dillon County.
Or…. He can be just another run-of-the-mill administrator who is or appears to be at the mercy of a few and their political agenda.
Only time will tell what administrator he will choose to be.