COLUMBIA - The November election controversies in Georgetown County have prompted the county's legislative delegation to push through a bill that takes away County Council's appointment powers to the county Election Commission.

"Hopefully, this would be one way of ending all the controversy," said state Rep. Vida Miller, D-Pawleys Island.

Miller said she doesn't know if the four-member legislative delegation can do any better than the council at making appointments to the board, but it's worth a try "because we have all heard these complaints."

County Councilman David Hood, R-Pawleys Island, said it is unfortunate the delegation feels compelled to make the change but that he thinks the council is resigned to it.

"I, personally, believe in home rule; however, I understand the delegation's concern with how the election was handled," Hood said.

The bill restores the method used in most other counties, including Horry County, in which the delegations recommend members of the boards and the governor appoints them. In 1996, the recommendation for members was given to Georgetown County Council because the county did not have a resident senator.

Several complaints and protests were filed over the Nov. 2 election.

The vote certification was not held at the time specified in state law, and one election protest had to be reheard because the county board did not record the first hearing.

Many of those missteps did not have to happen if the board had sought the advice of the county attorney or the state Election Commission staff, Miller said.

County Republican Party Chairman Paul Hogan was one of the most vocal in complaints about election procedures and how the count and recount were handled.

Hogan said he has mixed feelings about the delegation's move because he thinks home rule is usually better.

But the change in appointment powers may be a way to resolve problems with the commission, Hogan said.

"Sometimes you have to take control," he said.

Hood said the council could not easily remove commission members because of the governor's appointment powers.

He said he would like to see a law change that lets the council remove people from the commission rather than take away the council's recommendation rights.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Yancey McGill, D-Kingstree, and Sen. Ray Cleary, R-Murrells Inlet, restores the delegation's appointment powers that were given to the county in 1996.

Because it is a local bill, it quickly passed the Senate and House this week, but the two House members made a correction to the measure that will require it to be approved by the senators again. That should happen next week.

After that, the delegation will start looking for candidates to serve on the nine-member board, Miller said.

Now that the county has a resident senator again, with Cleary in office, and two House members who live in the county, it makes sense for the delegation to try to resolve the problems and get new people on the commission, Miller said.

"Our only desire is to make sure that elections are run in a way that not only the candidates, but the voters, can be sure it is run right," she said.