It was back-to-the future Friday evening for Bamberg County Council as a quorum of Council members voted to name retired former Bamberg County Assistant Administrator and Finance Director Booker Patrick, to be the County’s interim administrator in a meeting held in Council’s meeting room on North Street. Patrick’s hiring to the interim administrator’s position comes in the wake of the resignation of former Bamberg County Administrator Rose Dobson-Elliott effective May 10.

with the hiring of the veteran administrator Patrick, the County would “take the time to hire the right person.”

Also during the meeting, in the public comments portion and relating to discussions of an upcoming budget work session, Bamberg County Sheriff Ed Darnell asked Council members to “don’t balance the County’s budget on the backs of the employees.” The employees are doing a good job,” Darnell said, adding that he will soon have to replace two deputies that are leaving to get jobs as auto mechanics to make more money.

Chairman Wilson noted that department heads have a right to come to the administrator and finance director to give input on their budgets at anytime. Wilson noted that the County’s expenditures have out distanced its revenues in recent years.

Sheriff Darnell, who noted that he has been through seven county administrators during his tenure as sheriff, said he has seen so many projects in the county never get past phase 1 or phase 2. “We need to take a look at how we spend tax payers’ money. We don’t need to be spending any money for excess projects.”