Horry County Council members unsure if James Frazier will return to meetings

James Frazier, the first African-American elected to Horry County Council and the council’s longest serving member, is living in an assisted care facility and county officials don’t know when — or if — he will return to the dais.

The 77-year-old Democrat hasn’t attended a council meeting since Sept. 15. Council members said Frazier is staying in an adult care center until his daughter can return home and help Frazier and his wife, Jackie.

County officials have not disclosed why Frazier needs assistance. They expressed hope that he might return to meetings, though they are not certain he will.

“He’s getting his strength back and feeling good,” said County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus, who met with Frazier and his wife earlier this month. “We’re just trying to get them back to their house. He’s ready to go home.”

Frazier, who has served on the council for 35 years, could not be reached on his cell phone. His daughter, Kim Harris, declined to discuss her father’s condition.

“I’m not at liberty to release any information right now, but I’ll let my Dad know that you called,” she said, adding that she had been in touch with the chairman.

Lazarus plans to meet with Frazier and his family in the coming weeks to talk about the elder statesman’s future on the council. Frazier was reelected last year and his term runs through 2018. He represents District 7, which stretches down U.S. 701’s southern corridor and includes much of Conway.

Ultimately, Lazarus said, Frazier will decide whether he returns to his seat. While the councilman is out, Lazarus has directed county staff to notify the chairman of any concerns from the residents of District 7.

Councilman Paul Prince, who was first elected a few years after Frazier, said he’s not sure about his colleague’s physical or mental state, but he wishes he could recover.

“It doesn’t sound good,” he said of Frazier’s condition. “I’m just praying that he can come back.”

Those who know Frazier call him a champion for his native Bucksport and say he has spent decades representing a community that appreciates his dedication.

“People in Bucksport think a lot of Mr. Frazier because he’s served the community as well as the county well,” said Harold Phillips, who lives in Bucksport and is Frazier’s cousin. “He’s meant a lot to the community.”

Nestled along the Waccamaw River, Bucksport is a rural area with a rich agricultural history, one Frazier has been a part of.

In the late 1970s, he was one of five people invited to the White House to discuss the plight of American farmers with the president. He eventually retired from the state Department of Agriculture after 23 years of service.

Apart from the lessons he learned in the fields, Frazier studied public speaking, computers, business math and masonry at Horry-Georgetown Technical College. He received a real estate license in 1987.

Frazier has also served as an adult Sunday school teacher and trustee at Salem A.M.E. Church. He helped found the Bucksport Water System, pushed for dirt roads to be paved and supported building an industrial park near the Bucksport marina.

The community center on Bucksport Road bears his name.

“James’ leadership over the years has been very, very important to those folks,” said councilman Harold Worley, who sits beside Frazier at meetings. “He understands what they need and has tried to provide that and has been successful in lobbying the council to make things happen in his district. If something happens that James does not get back, he’s going to be sorely missed.”

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Horry County Council members unsure if James Frazier will return to meetings."