Solid Waste Authority board member faces ouster

A Solid Waste Authority board member who has sparred with agency leaders and some Horry County Council members in recent weeks may be forced off the panel.

Dan Gray, who was reappointed to the SWA leadership post in May, could lose his seat on the board that makes waste management and recycling decisions for the county.

Some SWA leaders have publicly accused Gray of lying to them and trying to undermine the board’s efforts by spreading misleading and inaccurate information about the agency and its staff.

“It comes down to one simple question,” said Lance Thompson, the board’s chairman. “Are we better off with this member on our board or not?”

The decision to remove a board member ultimately rests with County Council, but SWA leaders can recommend removal with a supermajority vote. Board members plan to discuss Gray’s possible ouster at Thursday’s 3 p.m. meeting.

When contacted by The Sun News, Gray had little to say.

“I would just prefer to wait until tomorrow before making any comments,” he said Wednesday. “Anything I would care to comment on, at this time anyway, was said at the [last] public meeting.”

Board members spent more than two hours discussing Gray’s actions at their Nov. 24 meeting before agreeing to defer the matter until Thursday. During that conversation, Gray insisted he would not leave quietly.

“A great deal of pressure has been put on me in the past two weeks or so [to] either resign or you’re going to get fired,” he said. “I’m pushing 75. I’ve never quit anything. I’ve never been fired from anything. I’ve served this county for 36 years on different boards. I think to remove me is a drastic reaction.”

Gray’s response followed Thompson outlining his frustrations with the board member. Thompson accused Gray of not raising concerns during meetings and even voting with board members on certain issues, then sending critical messages to council members and others about those decisions. He read emails and texts from Gray to reinforce his point.

One message that particularly irked Thompson was sent on Sept. 23, when Gray texted some council members shortly before SWA leaders met with the council’s Infrastructure and Regulation Committee to provide an update on the SWA’s contract to process Charleston County’s recyclables.

The recycling deal had caused some frustration among council members because they approve the authority’s budget and any change in the SWA’s spending plan must receive the blessing of county leaders. Some council members were upset that the authority came to them after the contract was signed, and they also expressed displeasure with the hasty nature of the process.

When Gray texted the council members, he told them the SWA was going to present “whitewashed” financial data that didn’t indicate the full cost of the Charleston County contract. Gray also said Charleston County planned to terminate the contract early and leave Horry County with more than $700,000 in unnecessary startup costs and equipment.

“Reconsideration superfluous,” Gray wrote. “Charleston’s gone in a few months anyway. Red ink and red faces.”

Thompson said the messages cast doubt on the veracity of the information the SWA was about to present and created a division between council members and the SWA. Thompson also said Gray called the vice chairman of Charleston County Council and told him the recycling deal was “one-sided” in Horry County’s favor and Charleston leaders would be “prudent” to get out of that contract.

Gray’s actions, the chairman said, “placed in peril” the recycling deal.

Gray acknowledged sending the text and email messages, though he disagreed with Thompson’s characterization of his phone call to the Charleston County official. Gray said he made that call, not to disrupt the deal, but to be sure Charleston County leaders were committed to the project. He also noted that the board had accomplished its goals, regardless of his actions.

“I didn’t say or do anything that hurt the Solid Waste Authority at all whatsoever,” he said.

Gray said he was simply trying to represent the views of those who picked him for the post. Gray was appointed by County Council but his nomination came from the local municipalities in the League of Cities. He maintained his communication was his obligation as a board member.

“In my view, someone is doing their job when they reach out to get information,” he said. “In my view, someone is doing their job when they respond to the people who appointed them.”

Gray also pointed out that he stepped down from a state education board to keep his post on the SWA panel earlier this year.

“This job meant so much to me,” he said.

Some board members have expressed concerns that simply mentioning Gray’s removal would cause friction between the SWA and the League of Cities. Others have asked for an opinion from County Council.

“Bringing up this item will damage the Solid Waste Authority if it comes to a vote, regardless of the outcome of the vote,” board member John Long said at last month’s meeting.

It’s unclear what, if any, action County Council will take. Chairman Mark Lazarus could not be reached for comment. Councilman Jody Prince, who has publicly said the scathing emails and texts must stop, declined to comment.

This is not the first time Gray has caused dissension among SWA board members. In 2013, he apologized for sending out a critical email about SWA Executive Director Danny Knight.

When the SWA boad meets Thursday, Thompson is not sure if there are enough votes to recommend Gray’s dismissal.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised either way quite honestly.”

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Solid Waste Authority board member faces ouster."