Swansea’s suspended mayor faces an arraignment on felony embezzlement charges next week.

The hearing will be at 10:30 am, Tuesday, July 27, in courtroom 3B in the Lexington County Courthouse.

The mayor has agreed to turn himself in then, according to the SC Attorney General’s Office.

A Lexington County grand jury indicted the mayor, a Swansea resident and pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in North. He faces up to 5 years in prison.

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

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 their bank’s signature card, according to council member Mike Luongo.

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 and fees.

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

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

Luongo and Simmons have been unable to confirm this since the mayor locked the Town Hall to anyone but a few employees and council members Davis and Linda Butler.

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

Monday’s council meeting was cancelled according to a notice posted at the town.

• Inside: Tax hike appears dead, Page A3.