Florence County Council members elected a new chairman Thursday morning during their first meeting of the new year.
William Schofield is the new council chairman.
AT 40 years old, Schofield is the youngest person to hold the position of chairman.
He's following in the footsteps of his father, James Schofield, Jr. He served on the Florence County council for many years, including holding the position of chairman for several years. He passed away while in office in July of 2020.
Schofield said his mission is to help the county as his father did, "like father, like son."
He made the following statement following his election to the position:
I would like to thank all of you that have taken the time this morning to attend this January meeting of Florence County Council. Informed and engaged citizens are essential for us to do our jobs effectively. To my fellow members of Council. I am honored and humbled by your decision to elect me as your Chairman. Each of you brings a passion to this Council and I am confident your continued contribution to the dialogue will help us as we move forward and work together proactively to solve problems that affect our county citizens and businesses. As Chairman I will always try to provide information to every member of this Council with an open-door policy focusing on transparency not only to you but to the citizens. As well as making sure that the needs of every district are fairly considered by this Council. The future of this great county is bright. This past year we ushered in more economic development than ever before. But let's be clear none of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the previous councils and council members. I respect and admire each Councilman sitting here today. Their passion for this county and their communities is unmatched in this state. I pledge to you, my fellow Council members and to the citizens of this County, that I will work tirelessly to protect the taxpayers' long-term best interest and to conduct our business in as transparent and open fashion as possible. Consistent with the realization that there are essential services on which our citizens' lives and well-being are dependent. And that, without economic development, which brings tax base growth, the ability to achieve that goal will be compromised.
Schofield served on the Florence City Council before being elected to the county council.