Richland County Will Likely Re-Do a $1M Settlement with a Fired Administrator
COLUMBIA — Richland County Council soon will likely reaffirm a $1 million settlement for firing a former administrator that was invalidated by a judge but not without hearing from one more person first — the fired administrator.
Some council members want to bring Gerald Seals back to speak publicly about his experience, while others prefer to move on without re-living the drama that accompanied Seals’ tenure that included clashing with some on council about not properly informing them and the public about major decisions.
Despite a court decision that could restart settlement talks, the county is not looking to recoup the money given to Seals in 2018, council members say. And Seals said he doesn’t intend to reopen negotiations to win a bigger payout.
