A group of people stormed out of a Barnwell County Council meeting March 2 after hearing Council's decision on a grievance committee recommendation.

At the meeting - held in the Blackville Community Center - about 35 people gathered to show support for former county worker Beverly Washington.

Washington, after 17 years with the county, was terminated from her job Dec. 28 because she had not passed two state-mandated exams for an appraiser position.

But Washington is contending she was treated unfairly and others are still employed by the county who have not passed the test.

She took her complaint to the grievance committee who unanimously ruled in her favor.

"All I am asking for is Council to go along with the grievance committee recommendation," said Washington.

The Rev. Floyd Hughes of Macedonia Baptist Church told council members Washington was "wrongfully treated" and "a lot of people want to know what your decision is,"during public comments.

Theodore Bellinger, of the African-American Concerned Citizen Group, said the organization is looking into the matter.

After executive session, Councilmen Travis Black, Lowell Jowers and Keith Sloan ruled against the grievance committee recommendation - but Councilmen Freddie Houston, David Kenner and Thomas Williams ruled in favor ot it.

Councilman Joe Smith abstained from voting on the issue because, "the individual had contacted him prior to the meeting and was soliciting a vote in her favor."

When called by The People-Sentinel later, Smith said he had nothing more to say about the situation than to explain why he abstained.

The acoustics of the hall made the meeting difficult to hear the council's voices or votes.

A woman in the crowd asked to hear the vote again which had been presented as a roll call.

The three-way tie with an abstain vote was met with confusion by the crowd.

The matter was referred to County Attorney J.D. Mosteller.

He said he would have to look into it and he would not have an answer until March 10 at the earliest. Mosteller noted the importance of the issue means it deserves thorough research and contemplation whicn would require time.

After the vote, one man in the crowd shouted, "The meeting is moving outside!"

Washington's supporters poured out of the community center.

Several of Washington's supporters said the Council meeting will not end the matter.

"We will not vote these people back into office," said Bellinger.

Inell Waring, the chairperson of the grievance committee, said she was surprised at the Council vote.

She said the committee gave a unanimous decision in favor of Washington.

"I could see if the (committee) vote was split," Waring said, on there not being solid agreement among council members.

"What is the point of having a grievance committee if no one is going to listen?" she said.

Warren Harley, the governmental affairs liaison for the S.C. Municipal Association said a vote, measure or recommendation can't pass without a majority.

"If it's a tie - it fails," said Harley. "The vote fails unless the local rules specifically address when to abstain and when not to abstain."

Councilman Freddie Houston said there have been issues with personnel during the last year brought on by budget crunches.

During budget time last year, four positions in the county were cut, said Councilman Keith Sloan.

Washington and the others were given an opportunity to apply for other positions within the county, said Sloan.

"Four employees left the county (for other jobs) as a result of the in-house turmoil," said Councilman David Kenner, of the time.

Despite the four voluntary losses, three more jobs were still terminated from county payroll, said County Councilman Thomas Williams.

"Why still come back and get rid of three more people?" asked Williams.

Washington was working as a building inspector clerk, she said.

When her job was eliminated she applied for the appraiser position, Washington said.

Washington had previously been an appraiser for the county for about six years, she said.

In 1998, she had been held hostage while doing fieldwork at someone's property, said Washington.

An irate resident was upset with the county because it wouldn't pave a road, said Washington.

He blocked Washington's vehicle in his driveway and brandished a gun at her while releasing two dogs, said Washington.

The sheriff's office had to diffuse the situation, she said.

Since then, state rules to be an appraiser have changed and more schooling and tests are required.

"Back then, each class was for a week - now each class is a month," said Washington.

There are three exams and then a state exam to pass, and a person gets three opportunities to pass each of the three exams, she said.

Washington was granted an opportunity to take classes for the exams in Greenville which the county paid for, said Councilman Lowell Jowers.

The Council also provided Washington with a county vehicle and a full tank of gas, Jowers said.

The classes were on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Greenville and she went from Oct. 14 to Nov. 18, said Washington.

In addition, the county paid for a hotel room for Washington to stay in during the nights she traveled to Greenville, said Sloan.

Washington went into work in the morning at 9 a.m. and traveled to Greenville after lunch and took the classes from six to nine at night, she said.

Then, she would get a hotel room and rise early the next day to be back to work. "I was expected to be back at 9 a.m.," said Washington.

Washington has lupus and she said the traveling aggravated her condition but said: "I don't look for excuses to be lazy - I do what I have to do."

The traveling and heavy schedule and were one reason why Houston voted in favor of the grievance committee and "there was no consideration" given to an employee of 17 years who had a good work record.

Washington did not pass the first two of the three exams, but still has seven more chances to pass the three exams, she said.

"The fact is she failed a test that was part of her employment," said Jowers.

Washington was also on a probation period, being one of the three people whose jobs had been eliminated.

During an Aug. 4 County Council meeting, a resolution was passed that said, "in the event that the three individuals are given the opportunity to fill the open positions, they will do so on a 90-day probation period with 30-day interim evaluations. If the administrator determines that these individuals are not qualified, he then has the authority to terminate their employment, advertise the jobs and hire qualified people."

Kenner and Williams voted against the resolution and Smith abstained.

"I could not see putting employees in a do-or-die position," said Kenner.

Councilman Travis Black said his vote on the grievance committee vote was in line with what Council agreed on when the probation resolution was passed.

He said he felt the county was more than fair to Washington and gave her another employment opportunity with the appraiser position.

But Williams, Houston and Kenner all said they felt a county employee with a 17 year work record with no adverse write-ups had not been treated right.

"To me, this is about a person being treated fairly," said Williams.

He said Washington had a tight schedule.

As a non-exempt hourly worker who doesn't hold a manager position, federal law requires that Washington should have been paid the entire time she was working, traveling and going to classes but wasn't, said Williams.

"We are in worse shape from a personnel standpoint than we have ever been in the county," said Williams.

"We have had people who have left the county (workforce) because they were targeted," he continued.

Kenner said he hasn't heard the word "targeted" but did say "it seems there could be an intense effort to make a move on certain individuals."

Last year, Williams said he voted against a resolution that took seniority out of job reductions.

He said the resolution could lead to personnel problems down the road and he believes the Washington situation is one of them.

"It wasn't right - there is no easy way to do this (job cuts) - but this was not the right way," said Kenner.

Houston said when Council makes a recommendation to cut the budget - job reductions should be determined by the county administrator and the administrator should be given more autonomy.

The decisions on what positions to cut came from the personnel and finance committees, said Houston.

The finance committee at the time was Treasurer Wendall Gibson Jr., Jowers, Sloan and County Administrator Pickens Williams Jr., said Houston.

The personnel committee was Jowers, Sloan and Williams Jr., said Williams.

Sloan said the finance committee asked Williams Jr. to meet with department heads and review positions that could be eliminated that would have the least impact on each department.

Williams Jr. met with the department heads and came back with a list of possibilities and the personnel and finance committees discussed it, he said.

Based on those discussions, four positions were eliminated, said Sloan.

Washington was terminated by Williams Jr. after she failed two tests and 145 days pass a 90-day probation period, said Sloan.

But Washington said there is a county employee still working who has took the appraiser exam twice and hasn't passed it.

"The other employee is on a loan basis to provide assistance to the appraiser," said Sloan.

The employee is also not under a resolution to fill a vacant position, said Williams Jr.

The employee in question is someone who stepped up to help keep things going and the county only paid for one set of classes but is not paying for any others and currently isn't, said Williams Jr.

Williams Jr. said the county currently has two licensed appraisers and as well as assessor Mike Hughes who is licensed to appraise.

The employee in question (on loan) is an apprentice appraiser, said Williams Jr.

Washington said morale is low among county workers and workers are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak out.

"If it could happen to me - it could happen to them," said Washington.