After eight years as mayor of the Town of Batesburg-Leesville, Lancer Shull is approaching the end of his term. He is not running for re-election. 

Born and raised in Missouri, Shull moved to Batesburg-Leesville in 2009. In 2015, he was elected to the Lexington County School District Three Board of Trustees, a position he held until 2017, when he ran for mayor and took office. 

“You serve your community wherever you go, you know?" he said. "I wasn’t born and raised there, but this is what you do.” 

Shull told the Chronicle his focus as mayor has been managing growth, securing a water source due to a consent order and enhancing the quality of life for all residents. 

Change, however, doesn’t happen easily, he said, and it takes time to build relationships and get projects rolling.

At the time he first took office, the town had limited funds for projects. That’s when the hospitality tax was imposed, applied to the purchase of prepared or modified food or beverages intended for consumption by a restaurant, hotel or other establishments within town limits.

“It was super unpopular, but I saw that as a funding mechanism so that we could maintain the small town charm,” he said. 

The town then paid for the design and engineering of both historic downtown districts in the Batesburg and Leesville areas. Currently, bathrooms are being designed and engineered at the Leesville College Park and the Wilson Street Depot Park.

The town also conducted a bike and walkability study to identify needed sidewalks, conducted an infiltration and inflow study to address stormwater issues and partnered with Aiken for the North Fork Industrial Park, which will increase waste capacity and remodel the whole plant.

Shull said that securing funding requires relationships, which is why he began attending Batesburg-Leesville Chamber of Commerce monthly board meetings and economic development committee meetings. He also joined the Municipal Association Board and became a commissioner for the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission. 

One of his biggest projects, he said,  was the water system expansion project, which stems from a 2013 Department of Health and Environment Services consent order requiring the town to find a sustainable water solution. 

A decision to partner with the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission was made official in 2022, a nearly $35 million project set to be completed in winter 2025. 

“The project will bring decades of stability to the town, just from a capacity standpoint for new businesses that come in, but also just stability in the rates for citizens,” he said. 

The partnership, however, came with conflict; Shull was found guilty of violating ethics laws and fined $1,300 (that includes a $1,000 administrative fee, plus $50 per count) in March 2025.

The South Carolina Ethics Commission charged Shull with three counts of failure to recuse himself from a vote in which he had an economic interest and three counts of attempting to influence a governmental decision in which he had an economic interest.

The decision comes from complaints filed by two Batesburg-Leesville Town Council members, Stephen Cain and Shirley E. Mitchell. In the complaints, they said Shull should have recused himself from town council meetings on items involving the town potentially starting a contract with the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission (JMWSC) since he was a commissioner. 

He appealed the decision in July, but the ethics commission upheld the ruling. 

Beyond the water system expansion project, Shull is proud of the Isaac Woodard Memorial in the town. The memorial honors Sgt. Woodard, a Black veteran, who was beaten and blinded in 1946 by the town’s white police chief at the time. The town dedicated the land to Woodard, which was formerly the site of the jail where Woodard was held after his arrest.

Looking back, one project Shull said he wished he pushed further for was a railroad trail plan that didn’t quite get engineered or designed during his time as mayor, but was put into drawing. He said the trail would go between the two downtowns with a walking and biking path. 

“You definitely become more patient and you look at things through a much longer lens,” he said. “I learned to not take anything personally and my personal relationships are important.”

Four candidates are running for the mayoral seat, including Stephen Cain (currently holds the District Three seat), David Bouknight (currently holds the District Two seat), Greg Moseley and Larry McConnaughhay. 

Shull said whoever gets elected should sit down with the administration to get an understanding of the town and current projects. 

“Understand your role. Your job is to create relationships, listen to your neighbors. Create relationships outside of the town. You’re the face of the town, so put a smile on,” he said. 

Shull plans to stay in Batesburg-Leesville, but will travel to his hometown in Missouri to help with his family. He said he will continue to work on his IT business and plans to start auditioning for roles again. An earlier 2025 reporting from the Chronicle details he was in Season Three, Episode Five of the Netflix drama “Outer Banks," as well as other productions. 

He also wrote a children’s book and is currently working with an illustrator, with hopes to have it completed by July 2026.