Clinton City Council Narrows City Manager Search to Three Finalists
May 6, 2025
The top story from Monday night’s Clinton City Council meeting was the announcement that the search for a new City Manager has been narrowed to three finalists: Andy Howard, Joey Meadors, and Will Riley. The decision follows a selection process taking several months that began with 69 applications and is now entering its final stages.
Mayor Randy Randall shared that the Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) assisted with the hiring process, helping the city narrow the applicant pool to a top 10 list. Of those, five were scheduled for interviews, but two withdrew before the interviews, leaving the three local candidates who met with council members last Friday.
“We’ve taken a thorough and transparent approach to the hiring process,” Randall said. “These three candidates rose to the top after careful evaluation, and we are now moving forward with the next steps.”
The finalists include:
- Andy Howard, currently the Director Parks and Recreation for Laurens County
- Joey Meadors, currently the Director of Public Works for the City of Clinton
- Will Riley, currently the Assistant City Manager for the City of Clinton
Council voted Monday night to hold a special called meeting on Thursday, May 8 at 6:00 p.m. to continue the process related to the City Manager search. No announcement is expected at that meeting, as contract negotiations are anticipated to follow.
Randall emphasized that the city has followed all required procedures, both from MASC and its legal advisors. “We’re excited about the caliber of the candidates we’ve interviewed,” he said. “Our focus now is on finding the best fit for Clinton’s future.”
In other business prior to entering into executive session, the council recognized Captain Ryan Garrett of the Clinton Fire Department for 15 years of service. Ray Sneed, honored for five years of service, was not present.
Jamie Kendrick of Mead & Hunt presented information on the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) initiative, a federally funded program aimed at improving roadway safety for all users—including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and public transit operators. Kendrick outlined the opportunity for Clinton to apply for a significant SS4A Implementation Grant, with applications due by June 26.
Council will need to endorse the safety plan, approve a list of projects, and agree to a 20% match at the June Council Meeting. The local match would be spread over three to four fiscal years starting in FY 2027, with the total request expected to be between $4 million and $6.4 million.
In voting action, the council unanimously approved the annexation and zoning of a 1-acre parcel off Trotter Trail (Tax Map #617-00-00-002) at the request of the landowner.
