Berkeley County commission backdates corporal’s promotion eligibility, alters exam schedule and closes candidate hearing

The Berkeley County Deputy Sheriff Civil Service Commission voted unanimously on March 31, 2025, to backdate Corporal Philip Butcher’s promotion eligibility to March 11, 2022, after an executive session and discussion about a judge’s earlier letter and related paperwork.

The action followed a petition filed by Butcher on Oct. 16, 2023, asking the commission to correct why he had not been given a hearing after several promotional offers that required reassignment to patrol. Commission members debated whether assignment decisions between the sheriff’s office and the courts fell within the commission’s authority before agreeing to recommend the backdate to the county.

The backdate matters because Butcher said the date of eligibility affects seniority and future promotional eligibility; he told the commission he was not seeking retroactive pay, only a change to the effective promotion date. “I don’t feel like it was handled properly to begin with,” Corporal Philip Butcher said during the meeting. The commission president summarized the commission’s view on the petition: “I think that the ball was dropped,” and later explained the decision…