Horry County councilman James Frazier to resign

A few weeks ago, Paul Prince visited his old friend and colleague James Frazier.

Frazier, 77, was living in an assisted care facility in Carolina Forest with his wife, Jackie.

Prince had heard that Frazier was suffering from dementia. But when he arrived, Prince found the kind, funny man he remembered, the same one who was first elected to Horry County Council in 1980, two years before Prince won his seat. The two men and their wives spent an hour catching up, but they never discussed Frazier’s future on the council, even though Frazier had not attended a meeting since Sept. 15.

“I knew that it was going to come to a point that somebody was going to have to talk to him about it,” Prince said.

That day finally came, and on Friday county officials announced that Frazier, the first African-American elected to County Council and the council’s longest serving member, would be resigning March 1.

“I rise today to recognize a man of many achievements and talents, whose contributions to the Bucksport community and our entire county have enriched many lives and contributed to the economic health of our community,” Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus said in the news release. “There are not enough words to express his love for Horry County and his dedication to service to the people of this county. He is a man of few, but powerful words. When he speaks, the room will go silent and everyone will listen as his wisdom is what has guided our county into the amazing place it is today. It has truly been an honor to serve with Mr. Frazier.”

Frazier’s resignation wasn’t a surprise, but those who have known him for decades said the absence of his steady presence will continue to be noticed.

“Council has been different without James and it’s not been a good difference,” said Liz Gilland, the former council chairwoman who has known Frazier since she was a teenager. “We’ve lacked having his gentlemanly ways.”

Frazier represents District 7, which includes U.S. 701’s southern corridor and much of Conway.

Although typically calm on the dais, the Democrat has long been a quiet force in Bucksport, the rural community along the Waccamaw River where the councilman was born and raised.

He saw rural roads paved and sidewalks installed. He pushed for a countywide fire service and helped launch the Bucksport Water System.

The community center is named after him.

“We’ve lost a strong supporter for the Bucksport community and a person who really enjoyed working and serving the people of his district and Horry County,” said Harold Phillips, Frazier’s cousin and a Bucksport resident. “It’s sad, but we all move on and someone else comes along and hopefully the person that comes along will be able to be people oriented as he was.”

Frazier grew up farming. 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 farming, Frazier studied public speaking, computers, business math and masonry at Horry-Georgetown Technical College. He received a real estate license in 1987.

He has also served as an adult Sunday school teacher and trustee at Salem A.M.E. Church.

But the councilman’s influence wasn’t confined to Bucksport.

“Since that was James’ home, he made sure that his people, his neighbors, had a strong voice, but he wasn’t exclusively focused on them,” Gilland said. “He was really good about looking out for his entire district and paying attention to what was going on countywide.”

As a councilman, Frazier was known for keeping a cool head, even when votes didn’t go his way.

“Smooth sailing,” Prince said. “We have been there a long time and we have never got upset with each other or mad or had a hard word. I think that’s to be commended, to be there as long as both of us have and not have a fight.”

Myrtle Beach City Councilman Randal Wallace said Frazier once shared some political wisdom with him.

“The single best advice I ever received about public service came from councilman James Frazier,” he said. “I have shared it many times: ‘Always vote your conscience, don’t take it personally and don't fight the same old battles over and over again.’ I wish everybody listened to it.”

Although Frazier’s peers on council knew his resignation was coming, the announcement still stung.

“We’ve come a long way during the period of James Frazier,” Prince said. “We’re sure going to miss him being on there.”

Horry County Council District 7 filings will open on March 18 and close on March 28. The schedule for the special election is:

• May 17 – Primary Election
• May 31 – Runoff Election, if necessary
• July 5 – General Election

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Horry County councilman James Frazier to resign."