An ordinance, which passed its first reading, could potentially give recently elected Chapin Mayor Bill Mitchell the ability to hire and fire town department leaders.

In a 3-2 vote at a recent meeting, town council approved the ordinance’s first reading, title only, meaning it is under attorney review and minor changes may still be made.

Mitchell, along with council members Ainslee Bost and Warren Burritt, voted in favor of the motion, while council members Mike Clonts and Vicky Shealy voted against it.

The full ordinance will be available during its second reading at the council’s next regularly scheduled meeting. Town council meetings are on the third Tuesday of every month. 

Under the proposed ordinance, Mitchell would have the authority to appoint and terminate the director of finance, the director of the department of planning and zoning, the director of the department of public works and the chief of police. 

During a special-called meeting in December, town council unanimously approved eliminating the town administrator role, a position held by Nicholle Burroughs since 2022.

The town administrator was responsible for human resources duties and day-to-day operations. 

According to a statement from the town, Mitchell plans to serve as "a full-time mayor."

“These changes reflect Chapin’s transition to its first full-time mayor and align operations with this new model of governance," a December Facebook post from the town read. "The town looks forward to the future and remains committed to serving residents with transparency and accountability." 

The statement went on to say the new direction and leadership would come with changes.

Mitchell earned 67.87% of the vote cast on Nov. 4. Opponent Ron Colley earned 7.51%, while 24.32% of voters wrote in candidates. Former Mayor Al Koon died unexpectedly in October; he was a candidate for re-election at the time of his death.

Earlier this month, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division closed its investigation into Mitchell following an allegation of assault. 

The alleged incident was reported to have happened between Mitchell and a town employee at the town hall on Nov. 7, when Mitchell was sworn into office in an impromptu ceremony.