Appeal to lawsuit indicated by county
Laura McKenzie
In a statement released May 30 on behalf of the Barnwell County Council, County Attorney J. D. Mosteller said, "As far as we know now, we plan to appeal the ruling" by Judge Doyet "Jack" Early III in favor of the City of Barnwell, the Town of Blackville and Town of Williston.
"We don't agree with the ruling," he said.
At the time of Mosteller's statement, the county council had not met since the ruling was filed Tuesday, May 27. Mosteller said the mood of the council following a meeting in April with their outside counsel on the matter was that they would appeal if the ruling was not in their favor.
The lawsuit centered on the Barnwell County Economic Development Corporation and an agreement between the towns and the county approved in 2014-15. Judge Early ruled that the county council illegally walked back from that agreement through two ordinances passed between March and May 2017.
The council met in a special meeting May 31 to approve second reading of the county's 2018-19 budget but discussion of the lawsuit was not on the agenda nor discussed during the meeting.