Council Approves Susan Hoots' Contract for Okra Strut Administrator

The Okra Strut Festival now has an administrator.

Irmo Town Council approved a $12,000 contract for Susan Hoots, wife of council member Harvey Hoots, to serve as the festival's administrator.

Hoots' contract was approved 3-1, with Mayor Hardy King voting against the motion.

Council member Harvey Hoots recused himself from any dicussion and voting on his wife's contract.

The Okra Strut Commission had for the position at a meeting in February, but King

King has been against council approving the contract because he said no concil member's family is eligible for employment. 

Harvey Hoots told Patch after Tuesday night's meeting that his wife's appointment doesn't violate any state ethics laws or town nepotism policy, which prohibits favoring relatives for employment.

"I’m real tired of seeing questions about ethics, nepotism," Hoots said. "There is no nepotism. Nepotism only deals with employees. There is no employment here. Never has been."

"My wife did this job for over five years. It was approved by the S.C. Ethics Commission every time. The ethics commission gave a written statement. There was no ethics problem. The town attorney gave a written opinion. There was no ethics problem."

Editor's note: See Mayor Hardy King's response to nepotism policy below.