Kirven, Gilstrap to Continue Leading Greenville County Council

Written by Bob Dill

Jan 16, 2007 at 12:00 AM

Dill, Burns to Head Key Committees After the oath of office was administered to council members elected in November, during the January 2, 2007 meeting, the newly constituted Greenville County Council unanimously elected Herman “Butch” Kirven to serve as chairman for the next two years. Judy Gilstrap was elected to continue serving as the vice chairman of council and chairman of the Finance Committee under current rules. Republican Councilman Dr. Bob Taylor was nominated by Joe Dill for vice chairman. Taylor received 5 conservative Republican votes to 7 votes for Gilstrap coming from the so-called “progressive” coalition of 4 Democrats and three Republicans,  (Butch Kirven, Jim Burns and Tony Trout). As vice chairman of County Council, Gilstrap will continue to serve as chairman of the Finance Committee. Kirven announced the appointment of Jim Burns to chair the council’s Public Service, Planning and Development Committee, the committee most involved with zoning, permits and construction and maintenance of roads and bridges. The Public Service, Planning and Development Committee was previously chaired by Eric Bedingfield, who is now a member of the State House of Representatives. Fred Payne was sworn in to replace Bedingfield representing District 28 on Greenville County Council.  Chairman Kirven appointed Joe Dill to chair the Public Safety Committee, the committee dealing with  emergency services, law enforcement, the county jail, employee benefits and rules of council. This committee was previously chaired by Tony Trout. In making the appointment, Kirven cited Dill’s leadership roles in other committees including Intergovernmental Relations and Public Service, Planning and Development. “Joe’s passion for public service and his government experience played a major role in my decision,” Kirven said. Concurrently, Dill was sworn in for his third 4-year term as the District 17 County Council representative for northern Greenville County. “I am pleased to accept Chairman Kirven’s appointment and look forward to working closely with fellow committee members and the Sheriff’s Office to keep Greenville County a safe place to raise a family,” Dill said. Additionally, Dill is a member of the Appalachian Council of Governments, the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Association of Counties, and serves on the Greenville Hospital Advisory Board. Since his election to council, Dill has lead the way in the acquisition and restoration of the Poinsett Bridge; served as Chair on the Greenville County Task Force which developed a plan for  replacement of the downtown county library and branch libraries. He is currently working with key members of the community to help preserve the Campbell Covered Bridge, the only remaining covered bridge in South Carolina, as well as the Hagood House on Scenic Highway 11, near the intersection with Highway 25.