WINNSBORO – Clay Killian is a strong, patient man who sees the big picture, according to one of his closest former colleagues.
Aiken County Chairman Gary Bunker, who worked with Killian for over a decade, says Fairfield County’s new interim administrator brings a plethora of experience and is adept at seeing the big picture.
“There aren’t a lot of surprises that you can spring on Clay Killian,” Bunker said. “He can deal with a phenomenal amount of balls in the air at the same time. If Fairfield County’s goal is to put the train on the track and stabilize the situation, Clay Killian is the guy.”
In January, Killian took over as interim administrator, succeeding Laura Johnson whose contract was not renewed.
Though technically retired from county government, Killian is a principal with Parker Poe Consulting and has hit the ground running in Fairfield, his initial focus trained on fiscal matters.
“I’m still assessing everything, but things that have obviously risen to the top are the IRS issue and finishing the audit on time,” Killian said. “Those are the two that have come to the top, right off the bat.”
A month before Killian’s arrival, Fairfield County learned that it owed the IRS at least $1.4 million in unpaid penalties and interest stemming from late, incorrect and unfiled healthcare tax forms, as well as financial reports, dating back to 2017.
Killian has been actively seeking ways to appeal the penalties in the hopes of canceling or reducing the debt. He said he plans to present updates at the March 11 council meeting, but couldn’t discuss specifics until the presentation.
“There is an appeals process that we have not taken advantage of yet,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with our new auditors. They’ve given us proposals to consider.”
Then there’s the county budget.
“We’re getting ready to start the budget process. I expect to get my first crack at it in the next week or two,” Killian said. “That will really give me a chance to dig into what the meat of our finances really are.”
Killian’s experience working with major employers such as Bridgestone and various Savannah River Site contractors in Aiken County should translate well as Scout Motors springs to life just south of Fairfield.
Bunker said Killian knows what it takes to successfully recruit industry.
“He understands there isn’t one single magic bullet for economic development,” Bunker said. “It’s like in baseball. It’s really nice to hit a grand slam but most baseball games are won by singles and doubles, walks and steals.”
Killian said he hopes to further advance Fairfield’s economic development efforts.
He’s toured the megasite off I-77 and wants to move forward with the wastewater treatment, which is seen as essential to providing critical infrastructure to industrial prospects.
“There are a bunch of suppliers that will want to locate within a reasonable distance of Scout, and we need to position ourselves to take advantage of that,” Killian said. “Infrastructure is a big deal. We’ve got a lot of property that could be attractive to a potential Scout supplier.”
Killian’s experience in Aiken also translates well relating to animal control issues, which frequently arise in Fairfield.
The local Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society has often touted Aiken and Aiken County animal control laws as laws to emulate.
In 2020, Aiken County voted to strengthen its animal control ordinance, addressing nuisance animals, tethering, and abuse.
Killian said it’s too soon to say what resources might be available, but anticipates further dialogue concerning animal control.
“There’s an active community here that’s interested in us doing something with our shelter,” Killian said. “We need to work through any concerns and devote some work to it.”
