COLUMBIA, S.C. - Gov. Mark Sanford had been
looking forward to the opportunity to appoint the state's top
bureaucrat when the executive director of the state Budget and
Control Board retires later this year.
But he lost that chance when he was outvoted 3-2 at a board
meeting Tuesday. The vote put Sanford on the losing end of the board
he chairs, which is responsible for overseeing much of the state's
$6 billion budget.
Frank Fusco, the board's executive director, retired more than
four years ago, but continued to work on the Teacher and Employee
Retirement Incentive program. By December, the 57-year-old would
have reached the maximum five years under the program and would have
to step down unless he was rehired.
That's exactly what happened Tuesday. Fusco will hold the job
until the board decides to replace him, and he'll be paid $146,076
yearly, down from his current $153,180.
While Sanford admires Fusco and the work he's done, he said the
move would leave other state workers with the impression that
leaders look out for big wigs.
Sanford also said he was looking forward to appointing someone
else to the job. Other governors have done that shortly after taking
office, but Sanford said he didn't think he needed to do that when
he took office in 2002.
That's what's "grating me," Sanford said. "I've gone the extra
mile. ... That's why there was such shock" at the board's
decision.
Sanford and Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom, both
Republicans, weren't aware that Fusco's future was going to be
discussed at the meeting. Eckstrom was perturbed it was added to a
closed-door, executive session agenda.
"I just can't understand why this position had to be sprung on
this board in this way without the governor knowing anything about
it; without me knowing anything about it," Eckstrom said. "It's
disgusting. It's detestable. ... You're acting like the governor's
in the dunking booth at the state fair."
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman said he spoke
with the two other board members, state Treasurer Grady Patterson
and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan Cooper about adding
a "personnel matter" to the board's executive session agenda before
the meeting. But Leatherman said he didn't have a similar
conversation with Sanford or Eckstrom.
Leatherman and Cooper are Republicans. Patterson is the only
Democrat.
Leatherman said he wanted Fusco to stay. "I frankly don't want to
lose his institutional knowledge," Leatherman said.
Sanford probably knew that Fusco wanted to stay. Fusco said he
had told Henry White, Sanford's chief of staff, and Leatherman that
he wanted to keep working.
Sanford said the episode does little to change the view some have
that government "serves people in power or connected to power."
But Leatherman says Fusco should be treated no differently than
1,500 people, including some in Sanford's Cabinet agencies, who have
left the TERI program and been rehired.
For his part, Fusco, who already has 32 years on the state's
payroll, said he's healthy and will stay as long as the board wants
him in the job. "I serve at their pleasure," he said.
