Laurens County Council Recognizes Elections Board, Courthouse Restoration and Hears Tax Reassessment Update
May 13, 2026
Laurens County Council convened May 11, 2026, for its regular meeting, opening with special recognitions before moving through a full agenda that included an industrial park expansion, a tax reassessment update and a presentation from the Citizens Task Force on Land Use and Zoning.
Elections Board Recognized
Councilman Arthur Philson, Jr. recognized the Laurens County Board of Registration and Elections and Director Lynne West, thanking them for sharing their space with County Council during the renovation of the historic Laurens County Courthouse. Those recognized were William Adair, chairman; David Hardy, vice chairman; Tim Howard, secretary; and board members Chip Brownlee, Marilyn Easter, Reynold Stoddard and Jim Moore. With the courthouse reopening, County Council will return to the historic building for its meetings.
Council also formally recognized May as both National Historic Preservation Month and National EMS Week, with National EMS Week observed May 17-23, 2026.
Courthouse Ribbon Cutting Set for May 15
County Administrator Jerre Threatt announced that the ribbon cutting for the newly restored Laurens County Courthouse is scheduled for Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m.
Appointments
Council unanimously approved the appointment of Larry Franklin to the Assessment Appeals Board for District 7, appointed by Councilman Lane.
Hunter Industrial Park Expansion Approved
Council gave unanimous approval on second reading to Ordinance #1009, amending the joint county industrial and business park agreement between Laurens and Greenville counties to enlarge Hunter Industrial Park by adding property located in Laurens County. Companies included in the expansion are Valupress, Brawo, Fukoku, Kimura, Truecore, Europastry and Suniva, along with several additional parcels.
Tax Reassessment Update
G.W. Dailey of the Assessors Office briefed council on the upcoming property tax reassessment, noting that first reassessment notices will be mailed June 8, with property owners expected to receive them by the end of June. Dailey emphasized that reassessment is a required process, with federal law mandating counties reassess every five years to ensure properties are assessed in line with current market conditions.
Dailey noted that new construction activity in the county has surged significantly.
“We have seen new construction rise so dramatically that we are averaging five new houses a day,” Dailey said.
Land Use Task Force Presents Recommendations
Robbie Bell and Nancy Garrison presented findings from the Laurens County Citizens Task Force on Land Use and Zoning. The task force was established by County Council through Resolution 2024-44 in November 2024, with Bell serving as chairman and Garrison as vice chairman. Task force members also include Casey Robinson and Allen Lawson.
The group was formed to gather public input, evaluate growth and development trends, and make recommendations to council regarding zoning and land use policies in unincorporated areas of the county. Community input sessions were held across the county, including in Gray Court and Clinton, where residents raised concerns about rural character preservation, housing growth, industrial development, property rights and infrastructure impacts.
Topics examined by the task force included future county zoning regulations, precinct zoning concepts, comprehensive planning and strategies for balancing rural preservation with new development. The task force remains advisory, with any final zoning or land use decisions subject to approval by Laurens County Council.
