Mikel Trapp
New Council Sworn in Monday
WINNSBORO – With three new County Council members waiting in the wings to be sworn into office at an official public ceremony on Monday evening, a fourth Council member in the yet to be decided race for District 3 will apparently be allowed to keep that seat until the March 3 special election.
Councilmen-elect Dan Ruff (District 1), Marion Robinson (District 5) and Billy Smith (District 7), who rode a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment into office in last November’s elections, will take their oaths Monday in Council chambers at 5:15 p.m. A reception will follow at 5:30, after which Council will get straight to work with the election of officers at 5:55 before convening their 6 p.m. meeting.
Councilman Mikel Trapp will, in all likelihood, remain in his District 3 seat to start the new year, sources wishing not to be identified indicated Tuesday. Trapp faces a special election on March 3 against Walter Larry Stewart and Tangee Brice Jacobs. Stewart successfully challenged Trapp’s four-vote margin of victory in the November election and last month Gov. Nikki Haley officially ordered a new election. While only Stewart protested the November results, just this week The Voice learned that Jacobs’s name would also be on the March 3 ballot.
At the time of Gov. Haley’s order, her office said it was considering the appointment of an interim to serve in Trapp’s stead between Jan. 1 and the March 3 do-over. However, sources said, the governor’s authority to appoint such an interim does not extend to cases where a special election is pending and an incumbent is still in place. Incumbents are legally authorized to continue serving until the special election, sources said.
The public is invited to attend Monday’s ceremony.
which means Mr. Trapp will miss some meetings and leave early from the others.
Will he still miss meetings or leave early?