Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
Bert O'Rear at Allendale County's Christmas Cantata in 2022.
Many questions remain after Allendale County administrator Bert O’Rear was suddenly fired by the Allendale County Council in June.
The county administrator is typically responsible for looking after the day-to-day activities of county government, like managing budgets, working with elected officials and overseeing county projects. O’Rear had been appointed to his position after the previous administrator left in the summer of 2022.
On July 27, The People-Sentinel submitted a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) to the Allendale County Council. The request asked for all communications between Allendale County public officials regarding O’Rear’s firing and his performance as well as the termination notice that was given to O’Rear.
Under FOIA law, the County Council has 16 business days to tell The People-Sentinel if it will fulfill the request. Since the FOIA was submitted by The People-Sentinel, nine business days have passed. O-Rear has not responded to multiple requests for comment by The People-Sentinel.
On top of this, the Allendale County Council has met twice since O’Rear’s firing, but has not spoken about the issue publicly. However, the council has gone into two executive sessions since his firing. The rationale given for each of these executive sessions has been for the “discussion of employment, appointment, compensation, promotion, demotion, discipline or release of an employee by a public body. Discussion of negotiations incidental to proposed contractual arrangements and legal advice.”
All of the Allendale County Council members declined to comment and directed The People-Sentinel to council chair Matthew Connelly, who declined to comment. Connelly told The People-Sentinel to speak to the Allendale County attorney, Walter Sanders, who was unable to be reached before The People-Sentinel’s deadline.
“We needed to go in another direction with the administration,” Connelly said in an early July interview. “We did fire him with cause but right now I don’t really want to comment too much on that. … After next meeting (on July 21), I may be available to talk a little more.”
After O’Rear’s firing, Chanel Lewis, the county’s chief financial officer, was appointed by the county council to become interim county administrator in addition to her duties as the finance director. Lewis has previously served as a county administrator in Hampton County from December 2022 to March 2023.
Lewis said both her and council don’t know how long she will be serving as the county’s interim administrator, but she is committed to serving in both roles.
“I work for the people,” Lewis said. “I’m a custodian of the taxpayer’s money. I want to make a difference and if there’s something I can do to make the government better and this community better, I’m going to do what I can to make that happen. I care.”
NOTE: Elijah de Castro covers rural communities like Allendale and Barnwell counties for The People-Sentinel. He is from a small town in rural upstate New York. He is a Report for America corps member.
