Attorney General’s Office finds no conflict with County Council role
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Michael Andersen says he will be able to continue serving on the City of Beaufort’s Parks and Tree Advisory Committee if elected to Beaufort County Council in November.
Andersen, the Republican nominee for the District 4 County Council seat, is currently running unopposed after no Democratic candidate filed for the general election. He won the Republican primary in June, defeating challenger Thomas Grygowski.
Andersen announced on Facebook that he had received written guidance from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office addressing concerns about holding both positions simultaneously.
“There has been some concern that, if elected to Beaufort County Council, I would have to step away from my service on the City of Beaufort Parks and Tree Advisory Committee,” Andersen wrote. “I am pleased to share that, after reviewing the matter, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office has advised that my continued service on both bodies would not constitute dual office holding under the South Carolina Constitution, nor would it create a master-servant conflict.”
In a written response shared by Andersen, Assistant Attorney General Sabrina C. Todd said she reviewed the relevant City of Beaufort ordinances and the information Andersen provided about the committee.
“I do not believe your membership on that body constitutes an office,” Todd wrote. “For that reason, your simultaneous service on that body and on Beaufort County Council would not constitute dual office holding in violation of the South Carolina Constitution.”
Todd added that she did not believe Andersen’s service on both bodies would create a “master-servant conflict.”
The distinction rests on PTAC’s status as an advisory committee. Its members make recommendations on matters involving Beaufort’s parks, trees and public spaces but do not exercise the type of governmental authority associated with public office.
The five-member committee’s members are appointed by Beaufort City Council for renewable three-year terms. Andersen was appointed in 2025 and currently serves as one of its citizen representatives.
“That means I will be able to continue serving at the pleasure of City Council while also serving the residents of Beaufort County,” Andersen wrote on Facebook.
Andersen defeated Grygowski in the June 9 Republican primary. With no Democratic or third-party candidate in the race, Andersen is unopposed in the Nov. 3 general election, though voters may still cast write-in votes. He will not officially become a County Council member unless elected in November.
In an interview with The Island News, Andersen said he sought clarification because he wanted to ensure that simultaneously serving on the municipal committee and County Council would comply with the South Carolina Constitution.
“I’m not any kind of a legal scholar, so I’m not going to make up anything,” he said. “I’m going to reach out and make sure.”
Andersen said he also notified Beaufort City Manager Scott Marshall of his intention to serve on PTAC and County Council concurrently. According to Andersen, Marshall said there was nothing preventing him from doing so. Andersen acknowledged that he remains on PTAC at the pleasure of City Council.
Several City Council members had previously expressed concern that Andersen’s County Council campaign might mean his departure from the committee, he said.
“A couple of them expressed that they really wanted me to stay on PTAC because they felt that I had brought renewed life to PTAC,” Andersen said.
Andersen said he intends to exercise caution if an issue involving both city and county governments comes before PTAC. He identified Whitehall Park, a joint city-county project, as an example of a matter from which he might recuse himself to avoid questions about his impartiality.
“I would rather err on the side of caution and just recuse myself so that way nobody could ever question any decision that I make,” he said.
Andersen said he has also discussed the arrangement with some current County Council members. None expressed opposition, he said, although they emphasized that his County Council duties would need to receive his full attention.
PTAC generally meets for about an hour once a month, Andersen said, and he does not expect its workload to interfere with his responsibilities on County Council.
“I don’t really see it as conflicting with County Council duties,” he said.
In his Facebook announcement, Andersen described PTAC as one of the most rewarding ways he has been able to serve Beaufort.
“I look forward to seeing through the projects our committee has worked so hard to advance,” he wrote. “Protecting and enhancing Beaufort’s parks, trees, and public spaces is something I care deeply about, and I am grateful to be able to continue that work.”
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.