Resident and county board member criticize Richland County leadership over Pine Valley discharge

Tom Riswell, a former Pine Valley administrator, used public comment time at a Richland County committee meeting to sharply criticize county leadership for the dismissal of a longtime housekeeper and to call for the county administrator’s removal.

"Thank you, chairman Brewer, for this opportunity to speak," Riswell said, introducing himself as a former Pine Valley administrator. He described Wanda Price, age 63 or 64, as a "wonderful employee" with 11 years of service and no prior disciplinary notices. According to Riswell, Price was summoned to a meeting on Sept. 4 and was presented with a discharge notice in a room that included her supervisor, county HR and corporate counsel. Riswell called the action "cruel" and "heartless," and said the dismissal came from county leadership.

Riswell asserted the firing followed a broader breakdown in workplace morale at Pine Valley, contending multiple supervisors had resigned earlier in the year. He urged county leaders to remove the county administrator, saying the departures and alleged management failures represented a severe problem for the facility.

A speaker identified as Elaine followed, saying county employees "do not trust the county board" and describing a pattern in which employees are presented with multiple warnings and then an immediate termination notice. Elaine said the discharged employee was effectively forced to resign to avoid a firing on her record, that the employee’s husband is home and undergoing cancer treatment, and she asked the county to extend the employee’s benefits until new employment takes effect. Elaine also said she could not continue to serve on the county board if the administrator or corporate counsel remained in place.

The meeting record provided in the transcript contains no immediate response from county leadership to the allegations and no formal action was taken during the public comment period. The committee proceeded to routine business after public comments concluded and later announced a move into closed session.

The comments raise personnel and governance concerns for the county. The statements in public comment allege specific conduct by county leadership and request administrative accountability; those allegations were not adjudicated during the meeting and remained unresolved in the provided transcript.

Next steps noted in the meeting were routine: staff continued with census and finance updates and the committee announced a closed session later on the agenda. The transcript does not show a formal motion or vote addressing the personnel claims.