County’s top official has very nice strategy

It’s not hard to be nice to people, says Kurt Taylor, Charleston County’s new administrator.

And making sure county employees are nicer and more responsive to county residents is one of his top priorities, he said. Many people call a government office when they are having a problem with something, and they often are frustrated, he said. But county employees need to remain calm, explain things to them, answer their questions and provide good service.

“We’ll embark on some training in that regard,” he said. “We only exist to serve the citizens of Charleston County,” he said, “therefore, we need to excel at that.”

Taylor, 49, officially stepped into the county’s top post Wednesday, replacing Allen O’Neal, who held the job since 2008. County Council voted unanimously in July to hire Taylor. His salary is $167,000.

Taylor was a member of North Charleston City Council for the past 14 years but finished his final term last month. He has worked for the county for the past 20 years.

His other top priorities are boosting employee morale and making sure each department attains the highest possible certification or accreditation.

County Council Chairman Teddie Pryor said selecting Taylor for the jobs was “a no-brainer.” He had the proper experience, and he clearly is committed to Charleston County, Pryor said.

There was no reason to conduct an expensive national search for an administrator when someone of Taylor’s caliber already was working for the county, he said.

Taylor said he’s proud to work for the county and wants other employees to feel the same way. Morale among county employees dropped a bit through recent tough economic times, he said. But he wants “to restore the joy.” That might include some events and outings where employees can get together outside work and have some fun.

Taylor, who said he is grateful to County Council for offering him the county’s top job, said he also wants county departments to improve their professional appearance by landing top certifications or accreditations. He plans to do that for the county as a whole by working to be selected as an “All-America” county by the National Civic League.

Taylor said he thinks his years working in the county’s legal divisions and as deputy administrator enable him to hit the ground running in his new job. “I don’t have a learning curve,” he said. And he looks forward to working more closely with leaders of the county’s cities and towns.

He got to know many of those leaders in his role as deputy administrator. In that job, he managed the county’s $1.3 billion Transportation Sales Tax Program, which included major roads and an award-winning green space preservation program.

County Council vice chairman Elliott Summey said he’s thrilled that, for first time, a North Charleston resident will serve as county administrator. Summey, a North Charleston native, said he’s certain Taylor will be fair to all parts of the county. But “he will serve as a role model for the kids of North Charleston.”