Chapin Mayor rejects council’s 4-0 vote to resign

From WLTX

‘Absolutely not’: Chapin mayor rejects council’s 4-0 call to resign

The vote is symbolic and doesn’t remove him. Mitchell says a record number of voters elected him and he’ll finish his four-year term.

CHAPIN, S.C. — Chapin Mayor Bill Mitchell says he has no plans to resign after the Chapin Town Council approved a nonbinding resolution expressing no confidence in his leadership and urging him to consider stepping down.

The resolution, approved Tuesday night by four council members, accuses Mitchell of failing to provide transparency, limiting communication between council members and town staff, and creating a deteriorating working relationship within town government. While the resolution calls on Mitchell to consider resigning, it does not remove him from office.

In an interview with News19 on Wednesday, Mitchell said the disagreement is not about transparency, but about how Chapin’s mayor-council form of government is intended to function.

“The town said this is a form of government. They want this form of government, and I’m not negotiating my job description for peace,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said Chapin’s mayor-council form of government gives the mayor executive responsibilities that are separate from those of the town council, and he believes the current dispute stems from differing interpretations of those roles.

Heated meeting ends with no-confidence vote
Tuesday night’s meeting became contentious as council members and the mayor argued publicly before the resolution was approved.

At one point, Mitchell attempted to restore order, telling the council, “I’m calling this to order.”

Councilwoman Ainslee Bost responded, “That’s all you want to do is control us. That’s our problem. That’s how you control everybody.”

Mitchell replied, “I’ll close the court down if you don’t come to order.”

The resolution ultimately passed by a 4-0 vote after Mitchell voted against it as a member of council.

Mitchell says he was surprised, won’t resign
Although Mitchell acknowledged his relationship with council had become strained, he said he did not expect the resolution.

“I knew we weren’t on ideal terms, but I didn’t realize they felt that strongly about it. And it did surprise me,” Mitchell said Wednesday. “So it did kind of catch me by surprise.”

When News19 asked whether he would resign, Mitchell was unequivocal.

“Absolutely not. A record number of people voted me into office, and I took an oath to serve for four years, and that’s exactly what I intend to do,” he said.

Mayor responds to council’s allegations
Mitchell disputed several of the council’s allegations during his interview with News19, saying many of the concerns outlined in the resolution stem from differing views of how the town’s government should operate.

The resolution alleges Mitchell has limited communication between council members and town staff. Mitchell denied that claim, saying department heads report directly to the mayor under Chapin’s form of government and that he, not individual employees, is responsible for communicating information to council. He said previous practices allowed department heads to effectively answer to multiple elected officials, which he believes is inconsistent with the town’s form of government.

Council members also argued they are not receiving enough information to perform their duties. Mitchell said he provides agendas, supporting materials and updates on what he believes are the town’s most important issues, but said it would be impossible to brief council on every decision made between monthly meetings. He added that council members are welcome to call or text him with questions if they need additional information.

The resolution also cites employee and attorney turnover as evidence of leadership problems. Mitchell defended his handling of the town’s legal representation, saying his priority has been protecting taxpayers by carefully managing legal expenses and hiring attorneys based on the town’s specific needs rather than maintaining ongoing relationships with outside counsel.

Mayor says public disagreement hurts the town
Mitchell said he regrets that the disagreement has unfolded publicly.

“I got to tell you, I hated to see that happen because it gives the town a very bad look. It makes us look divided, and we are,” he said.

He said he hoped recent efforts to improve relationships with council members would have been successful.

“They need all five of us working together on any issue in the best interests of Chapin. And clearly that’s disjointed.”

Council declines further comment

News19 reached out to every member of the Chapin Town Council following Mitchell’s interview.

Two council members responded, saying the resolution speaks for itself and declined additional comment.

Residents who watched Tuesday night’s meeting said they hope town leaders can move forward.

“It was surprising to really see a group of adults acting that way first and foremost from both sides,” Chapin resident Lance Love said. “Not really saying that anyone was appropriately acting in the video because nobody was, especially for a group of adults that an entire town is looking for, for guidance.”

The resolution remains symbolic and does not change Mitchell’s status as mayor. He said he intends to continue serving the remainder of his elected four-year term.

The post Chapin Mayor rejects council’s 4-0 vote to resign appeared first on Nathan Ballentine.

Source: https://nathansnews.com/2026/07/chapin-mayor-rejects-councils-4-0-vote-to-resign/