Swansea’s suspended mayor Jerald Sanders pleaded not guilty to embezzlement charges this week.

Judge Walton McLeod agreed with Sanders’ attorney Alexandra Benevento to release Sanders on a personal recognizance bond as he is not a flight risk.

Prosecutor Andrew McAllister of the SC Attorney General’s office did not make an objection.

The judge made his decision within 5 minutes.

Benevento told the Chronicle that co-council Bakari Sellers, a former SC House member, was not brought in due to civil rights concerns.

A date for Sanders’ trial was not set Tuesday.

A county grand jury indicted the mayor, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in North, who faces up to 5 years in prison.

Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Sanders and appointed Mayor pro tem Woodrow Davis to serve.

Swansea’s town officials may be headed for even more legal difficulties.

Only the suspended mayor’s and mayor pro tem’s signatures are on the bank’s signature card, council member Mike Luongo said.

Legally the town can’t pay its 8 employees without both signatures, he said.

“The bank may cash checks with only a single signature but that doesn’t make it legal,” he said.

Luongo and fellow council member Doris Simmons want the council to come up with a balanced budget for the fiscal 2021-22 year which began July 1.

The two council members said they have been told:

• The town spent more than $75,000 last year above what it received in taxes.

• The mayor planned to give himself, other council members and town staff and police pay raises.

That’s why, they said, the mayor sought a 2% hospitality tax on food and to raise property taxes, a move unpopular with many residents.

The council members say they can’t confirm this since Sanders locked Town Hall to everyone but employees, Davis and council member Linda Butler.

Woodrow Davis has been in municipal government long enough to know 2 signatures are required on town checks, Luongo said.

Last week’s council meeting was cancelled according to a notice at town hall.