This Week in Landrum…..
This past week marked the beginning of my service as Interim City Administrator. I want to thank Mayor Briggs and City Council for the opportunity to serve during this transition. Landrum is a special place, and for me, it has always been part of my home. Even though I was a Tryon Tiger (Tryon Middle, not High… I’m not quite that old) and a Polk County Wolverine, the rivalry we had with the Cardinals led to lifelong friendships and a love and respect for these communities.
One of the most important things I’ve learned in my 20+ year career working in and with local governments, small businesses, non-profits, and small communities is that respectful and effective communication is key to any successes. As part of that process, I want to begin these weekly update messages for the community. My focus on going into this role is simple: to help keep the city moving forward while preserving the character and values that make our community what it is.
Here’s what we worked on this week:
This week was a little hectic for me to settle into the interim role and meet with Shannon to go over our transition plan. I want to again thank Shannon Baldwin for his hard work and dedication over the past year in Landrum. He was able to work with Council and the community to accomplish a lot!
Met with the Farmers Market Board as they prepare for the 2026 season—we’re looking forward to another great year with a staple of the community.
Met with the Dark Corner Classic Car Show team and everyone is excited about this year’s event! Organizers are expecting at least 300 vehicles this year. Come out to enjoy the excitement, explore downtown Landrum, and experience one of the city’s favorite annual events.
Met with our partners in the region to discuss land conservation opportunities, youth engagement opportunities, and the future of the Saluda Grade Trail project.
Traveled to Columbia to advocate for Landrum’s strategic vision with partner organizations including the Municipal Association of South Carolina.
Spent much of the week diving into the budget, ordinances, and ongoing projects, and meeting with staff, Council members, and residents. If I haven’t met with you yet, don’t worry, I’m going to be visiting local businesses and will be at community events, so please don’t hesitate to come up to me and introduce yourself or ask any questions you have about the hard work the Landrum team is doing behind the scenes.
Staff continued as always to work hard behind the scenes, keeping the city going by working to clearly identify needs and priorities and execute our strategic plan.
What we’re working on now:
Getting ready for our next Budget Workshop on proposed revenues (April 8)
Our next regular City Council Work session and City Council Meeting are scheduled for the second Tuesday in April (April 14)
Working with PR/Marketing Director, Tricia Taber to launch “Coffee and Conversations”—informal opportunities to meet, talk, and stay connected with what’s happening in the city at some of our great local coffee and breakfast spots.
Assessing our city assets and infrastructure and planning for the future.
Exploring ways to improve communication, including regular updates like this and the infrastructure needs to restart recording or live streaming of meetings.
Looking ahead:
Continued meetings with Council, staff, and community partners
Ongoing transition work and budget preparation
Opening Day of the Landrum Farmers Market is Saturday, April 4, 2026 from 8:00am-12:00pm. Please come out for fresh market finds and friendly faces of our local vendors. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another wonderful market season! Our Landrum Middle and High School FFA groups will be doing some spring cleaning this week to get the pavilion ready! We appreciate our Cardinals!
The City of Landrum looks forward to partnering with Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation to explore planning initiatives and funding opportunities for upgrades and park improvements.
Landrum, and the areas around it, continue to grow, and we want to make sure that growth is handled the right way—through thoughtful planning and responsible budgeting—so we preserve what makes this place special.
I appreciate the opportunity to serve our community and look forward to continuing to meet and hear from members of the community.
—J.J. Sauve
Interim City Administrator
—Tricia Taber
Public Relations/Marketing Director