Beaufort County caucus authorizes settlement negotiations in Lisa Lynch lawsuit

The Beaufort County caucus on March 9 voted to authorize county counsel and outside attorneys to negotiate a settlement in the lawsuit Lisa Lynch v. Beaufort County and empowered the county administrator to execute any resulting agreement.

The Chair moved that "counsel authorize the county attorney and our outside counsel for the case of Lisa Lynch versus Beaufort County to negotiate a settlement in accordance with the terms and amounts as discussed in executive session, and that the county administrator be authorized to execute a settlement agreement for the terms and amounts as discussed in executive session," and the motion was seconded and approved by a show of hands, the Chair announced.

The motion followed an executive session convened under South Carolina Code §30-4-70(a)(2), which the Chair cited as the authority to discuss legal advice related to pending litigation. The transcript records that the case had been listed for executive session; the Chair said the settlement terms and amounts were discussed there, but the motion and subsequent vote did not disclose any dollar amounts or other settlement specifics.

Because the transcript records the authorization but not the settlement details, it is not possible from the meeting record to say whether a settlement amount was agreed or what the proposed terms include. The county administrator was authorized to sign any agreement that reflects the terms and amounts discussed in executive session.

The caucus then continued to other agenda items. The transcript does not show a roll-call tally for the settlement authorization; the Chair announced the motion passed after members signaled in favor.