Oconee County Council votes 5–0 to terminate County Administrator Amanda Brock; Phil Shirley named interim

Oconee County Council voted 5–0 on Oct. 28, 2025, to terminate County Administrator Amanda Brock and authorized Chairman Matthew Durham to issue a written statement of reasons under South Carolina Code §4-9-620. The special meeting was held in Council Chambers in Walhalla and began at 2:30 p.m.

The action followed an executive session called to discuss a personnel matter involving the county administrator. Council member Glenn Hart moved to enter executive session under SC Code §30-4-70(a); Don Mize seconded the motion, which carried 5–0. Council returned from executive session at 3:48 p.m., and Hart moved, with Thomas James seconding, to approve the termination of Amanda Brock "per the terms of her contract." The motion passed 5–0.

Mr. Matthew Durham, chairman of the Oconee County Council, read a statement on behalf of the council that said, "The Administrator's contract, while terminated without cause, is terminated due to Council's loss of trust in her." The council also authorized the chairman to issue a written statement of the reasons alleged for the proposed removal pursuant to SC Code §4-9-620 and noted that the administrator retains the right to request a public hearing under that statute.

The council announced that Phil Shirley, identified in the meeting as the county's PRT director, has agreed to serve as interim County Administrator while the search for a permanent replacement begins. The minutes record that the meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

The motions and votes were recorded as unanimous among the five council members present: John Elliott (District I), Matthew Durham (Chairman, District II), Don Mize (Vice Chairman, District III), Thomas James (District IV) and Glenn Hart (Chairman Pro Tem, District V). The county attorney, David Root, and Jennifer C. Adams, clerk to council, were present and recorded the proceedings. The administrator named in the motion, Amanda Brock, was not recorded as speaking during the meeting and no response from her appears in the meeting minutes.

Under SC Code §4-9-620, an administrator who is removed may request a public hearing; the council authorized the chairman to issue a written statement of reasons under that statute. The special meeting record does not specify an effective date beyond the passage of the motion, nor does it record any amendment to Ms. Brock's contract terms beyond the statement that the termination was "per the terms of her contract." The council said the termination was "without cause" but attributed it to a lost trust.

Next steps identified in the minutes: Phil Shirley will serve as interim County Administrator and the county will begin a search for a permanent replacement; the minutes do not provide a timeline or further administrative details about the search.

(Reporting from Oconee County Council minutes and the meeting transcript.)