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Clay Young is retiring from his part-time post as city administrator of Loris effective March 31.

Loris City Council on Monday, March 24, accepted Young鈥檚 resignation with regret, and praised his contributions to the city during his three-year tenure.

City Treasurer Angel Neighbours was appointed to replace Young, and will serve the dual role of interim administrator and treasurer.

Mayor Mike Suggs said the city will not immediately advertise for a permanent replacement for Young, giving Neighbours the chance to audition for the job.

Young was hired as the interim city administrator in January 2022 after retiring from full-time government employment and settling in Little River. He worked 28 hours per week for Loris, making $49 per hour without benefits.

Young, a native of Chester, South Carolina, has a long history of government service, including stints as the county administrator in Dillon and Kershaw counties. He also worked for the Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments, the cities of Chester and Hanahan, and as an adjunct faculty member at Limestone and Coker colleges.

鈥淗e鈥檚 served us very well. It鈥檚 been a pleasure to work with him,鈥� Suggs said of Young. 鈥淗e鈥檚 stepping away from local government to pursue other endeavors.鈥�

Those endeavors will include writing a book about the historic courthouses of South Carolina.

Prior to Young鈥檚 hiring, the city went more than a year without an administrator. Suggs credited Young for helping the city get its affairs in order. He said Young established an accounting system to track city finances, got the city 鈥渂ack on track鈥� with its annual audits, identified and cut wasteful spending and helped the city operate within its means.

Young also helped procure funding for water and sewer projects, and for the clean-up and demolition of the old Loris High School off Highway 701. Additionally, he helped modernize the city鈥檚 procurement policies, updated the city鈥檚 employee handbook, and helped guide the city through updates of its long-range comprehensive and downtown economic development plans.

鈥淭hank you for giving us your time, your talents and your expertise for the last few years,鈥� Suggs told Young. 鈥淲e wish you well.鈥�

Councilman Carroll D. Padgett Jr. thanked Young on behalf of the council, which literally applauded his efforts.

Young said he enjoyed his time 鈥渨orking as a team鈥� with the city council and staff to help improve the city.

鈥淚 see a lot of good things happening for Loris,鈥� he said.