Transport agency to undergo review

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It also gave a vote of confidence to the agency's executive director. Both actions, commissioners said, were sparked by a critical letter last month by commission Chairman Tee Hooper of Greenville to Executive Director Elizabeth Mabry.

In the letter, Hooper questioned the agency's management and said he would ask Mabry to resign if he had the authority.

The letter detailed several allegations, including that costly SUVs were supplied to high-level employees, that the agency hadn't claimed more than $145 million in federal funding that it could have and that the department wasted money by sending 260 employees to a bike and pedestrian conference in Myrtle Beach.

Mabry has denied the allegations, and lawmakers rallied to her defense, sending petitions of support.

Thursday's commission meeting was the first full board meeting since news of the letter surfaced.

Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Columbia Democrat, said he was pleased the board voted to support Mabry. "I have no problem with the review as long as it is not a witch hunt," he said.

Following a closed-door meeting with Mabry, the commissioners voted 6-0 to "publicly acknowledge their support" for the executive director. There was no discussion and Hooper, who only votes in the event of a tie, didn't vote or say anything.

Commissioner Marion Carnell of Ware Shoals then asked the board to approve a resolution seeking "an independent evaluation" of the agency's operations "with the intent of showing us how we can do it better."

The proposal gave no details as to who would do the review, how much it would cost or exactly what they would look at. The motion also passed on a 6-0 vote without any discussion.

Hooper, appointed two years ago by Gov. Mark Sanford, said he had no comment on the vote by commissioners to back Mabry. He said he welcomed the independent review.

"I think doing the review or organizational evaluation and looking into the issues that have been raised is an appropriate thing to do," he said. "I think it helps clear the air."

Asked about the votes, Mabry said, "I very much appreciate the support of the commission."

Will Folks, a spokesman for Sanford, said while the review is a good idea, the board should have spelled out how it would be done. "It would be a bit more comforting to have a clear sense of who would be conducting that inquiry," he said.

Carnell said the review would look at Hooper's concerns but that doesn't mean the commissioners believe anyone at the agency has intentionally done something wrong.

"I think everything has been done above board," he said. "The main thing is to come in here and look at our operation and tell us what we might be doing wrong. Maybe we have been doing it wrong. I don't think anything has intentionally been done wrong."

Carnell said Mabry "is doing a great job."

Commissioner John M. "Moot" Truluck of Lake City said the vote on Mabry reflects the confidence the board has in her and the support she enjoys with the Legislature.

He said the review "is just to make sure we're doing what we're supposed to be doing."

He added, "It's a management tool that we need to be doing periodically, anyway."

Commissioner William C. "Bud" Turner from Greer, who made the motion to endorse Mabry, said the votes "were in response to what has taken place publicly."

"This is an opportunity for the commissioners to say we, as well as the (legislative) delegation, support Mrs. Mabry as executive director," he said.

He said the motions weren't the subject of a meeting behind closed doors earlier in the day of board members.

The meeting, which took place in between announced commission meetings, included a majority of the board but not Hooper.

Those in the meeting said the subjects discussed included those talked about at an earlier meeting, including starting commission meetings with prayer and a resolution to change the name of the Earle Morris Jr. Highway to South Carolina 153.

Both resolutions later were passed by the full board. One member said they also discussed where to go to lunch.

Jay Bender, the attorney for the state Press Association and The Greenville News, said meetings of public bodies in which official business is discussed must have adequate notice, be convened in public and be accessible to the public under the state Freedom of Information Act.

Carnell said the meeting wasn't improper because it wasn't an official meeting. "We were just sitting around shooting the bull," he said. "We weren't taking up new business."

He said they talked about matters that were discussed at an earlier meeting.