Posts on a Surfside Beach Fact Checker page revealed today that two high-ranking Surfside Beach officials are leaving their positions, including the Fire Chief and Finance Director.
Rob Clemmons, in his temporary position of acting town manager, approved a 23% pay raise for himself, as well as, pay raises for other department heads. Sources now say those attempts at pay raises were questioned by the town council and the town’s newly hired Town Manager.
A source inside Surfside Beach government confirmed to MyrtleBeachSC News, that Former Fire Chief Rob Clemons, who has led the department since 2021, is leaving on Aug. 11 and Finance Director Diana King has retired.
Pay Raises attempted by Rob Clemons acting as temporary Town Manager
Rob Clemmons told MyHorryNews.com that he is leaving to work full-time for a consulting firm that he has worked with for four years.
A few days before the start of the fiscal year on July 1, Clemmons, King, and police chief Kenneth Hofmann were all set for pay raises under the current year’s budget.
Mayor Bob Hellyer told The Sun News on July 13 that newly installed administrator Gerald Vincent would examine what happened and draft “corrective measures” to prevent a repeat.
According to Mayor Pro Tempore Cindy Keating, the town council will likely discuss the issue next week.
It would be naïve to think that recent events haven’t played a part in the pending departures, she told the outlet.
At the time of publishing, sources informed MyrtleBeachSC News that the pay raises were also controversial because of the non transparent actions by staff both before and after the raises were brought to council’s attention.
This is now likely a developing story and one that MyrtleBeachSC News will be following.