Surfside Beach taps town administrator

SURFSIDE BEACH -- The town of Surfside Beach has selected a new town administrator.

Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to offer Jim Duckett the position, and the town now will begin negotiations with him. Council members did not release information Tuesday about Duckett or the other candidates other than their names. More information about the candidates will be available today.

There were four finalists in the search that began with more than 150 applicants, Mayor Allen Deaton said after an executive session.

Duckett, Robert Anderson, Walter Munchheimer and another man who did not want to be named were the four finalists, he said.

If Duckett accepts the town's offer, he will replace former Surfside Town Administrator Ed Booth, who resigned earlier this year.

Booth turned in his resignation on May 4 during a specially called meeting. His resignation was effective as of May 11, and Micki Fellner has been acting as the interim town administrator since.

Soon after resigning, Booth began working with television personality Cecil Chandler's restaurant company, which has since been disbanded, called Surfside Beach Cafe at the Pier LLC.

That move by Booth led to accusations that he passed inside information to that company, which was bidding for restaurant space on the town-owned pier.

Booth has said previously that his work with Chandler was not a conflict of interest because when he was town administrator, he was not involved with developing the town's bid criteria.

But, in July, Herb Hayden, executive director of the State Ethics Commission, said the commission was reviewing documents sent to them by the solicitor's office regarding those allegations.

Hayden said the review was "to see whether or not there are any potential violations."

Later, Hayden said the commission could not confirm whether an investigation into Booth's actions is under way.

But the town is hoping to move on from all that, Deaton said.

"This is a good opportunity for council to move forward," he said.

Deaton said Duckett was chosen above the other candidates because he "seemed to be a good fit ... with his philosophy and his demeanor."

"Generally, councils inherit their staff members," Deaton said. "This is a great opportunity to put someone in place that's a good fit for our team."

Also Tuesday, the town council selected Interim Police Chief Mike Frederick to serve as its police chief, with a 5 to 1 vote. Councilwoman Ann Dodge was the lone opposing vote, and Councilman Doug Samples was not present for the meeting.

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