This Week in Landrum……
From the City Administrator’s Office • Monday, September 21, 2026
A Farewell Note from the Interim City Administrator
Six months does not feel like six months. When I signed on in March, the calendar in front of us seemed longer than it turned out to be. That is generally how these interim engagements work. The runway feels generous at the start and short at the end, and the middle disappears into meetings, reports, and the many small decisions that add up to the practice of running a city day-to-day.
I am not going to use this space to catalogue accomplishments. Residents can look at what has been in this letter over the past six months and draw their own conclusions. What I will say is that the work continues, and it continues in capable hands. Deputy City Administrator April Williams has been in the driver’s seat for weeks. Council is close to selecting the next permanent City Administrator, with finalist interviews scheduled in executive session on Tuesday, September 29 and Wednesday, September 30. The systems, processes, standards, and relationships that were built or strengthened over the past six months are set up to outlast any one leader, which was always the point.
A short and sincere word of thanks. To Mayor Briggs and the members of Council for the trust, and for taking on some of the harder questions rather than avoiding them. To the staff of the city for the daily labor of keeping Landrum running, and for the patience of learning new processes alongside doing your existing work. And to the residents and business owners who paid attention, showed up, wrote in, disagreed sometimes, and generally treated this office with the seriousness it deserves. That last piece is not small. It is the difference between a city that improves and one that drifts.
Two operational notes. First, this is my final regular edition of the newsletter. April will take full authorship going forward. Second, my last day with the city is Wednesday, September 30. Until then, I remain reachable to Council, staff, and residents for anything requiring my attention. After that, the appropriate contact for administrative matters will be the City Administrator’s office, which April is leading now and which will be led by the permanent hire in the near future.
A Note from the Deputy City Administrator
During my career I have been blessed with some strong mentors, but JJ is one of my favorites. The time that I have worked under him has been short, but the impression that he has made on my life will last forever and I look forward to carrying on his work here in Landrum in whatever capacity I can. JJ left a strong foundation of work and as he said, anyone will be able to move into the administrator role and continue moving forward. While it would seem that JJ did wonders here, he merely took the time to highlight things that were already happening here. Agendas were already being published. He just formulated an organized template and set a deadline a week out so that everyone gets the information that they need. It helps staff, council and the citizens of the city get the same information with time to read, understand and seek answers prior to the meeting date. It increases transparency and helps build relationships with the city. This will not change. We will continue to hold ourselves accountable to the same policies and procedures and standards that JJ has started during his time here in Landrum.
As we navigate the next few weeks, there are a few unknowns. There will be more changes. This is a great time for the city, both internally and externally but City Staff pledges to continue to serve you with the same level of service. Please continue to follow along on our journey and as always, please do not hesitate to come by to chat. We have a lot going on and welcome you along on the ride!
What Happened This Week
• Congratulations to Landrum High School for a wonderful 2026 Homecoming. Thank you to the students, faculty, families, alumni, and businesses who shared their Cardinal Pride during the parade and celebration.
• Friday, September 18: Special Meeting of Council to approve the minutes of the September 8 Council meeting, a procedural step that formally authorizes our new Chief Financial Officer to have access to City bank accounts. A small item on paper, and a meaningful internal-controls step in practice.
• Continued work with Caitlin Cothran on the permanent City Administrator search, including interview scheduling and logistics for the September 29 and September 30 special meetings.
• Continued financial-transition work following the CFO bank-access authorization, including integration with the internal-controls practices reviewed on-site with MASC earlier this month.
• Continued Fiscal Year 2025-2026 close-out activities in preparation for the October engagement with our third-party independent auditors.
• Tricia attended the S.C. Main Street meeting this month in Fountain Inn.
• Continued planning and zoning inventory and assessment with the City Attorney.
• Continued Frohlich Property conservation easement work toward closing.
• Continued assessments by our new IT provider, Acumen, and continued rollout of the International Property Maintenance Code enforcement program.
What We’re Working on Now
• Preparation for Planning Commission work session and Meeting on Tuesday, September 22. Materials will be posted on the City’s website.
• Preparation and logistics for the Special Council Meetings on Monday, September 29 and Tuesday, September 30, at which Council will interview City Administrator finalists in executive session.
• Finalizing FY 2025-2026 close-out and internal materials for the October independent third-party audit.
• Continued financial-controls and workflow work with the new CFO.
• Drafting balanced growth-management options with the City Attorney for future Council consideration.
• Planning the quarterly public long-term planning work sessions Council intends to establish; final dates and format to follow.
• Planning and zoning inventory and assessment, with recommendations expected to flow to Council in the months ahead.
• Implementation planning for the new municipal court system, which must be in place by December 31, 2026.
• Frohlich Property easement finalization.
• Coordination with School District One on site plans for the new school.
• Cross-jurisdictional coordination with Spartanburg County on Cardinal Point RV Park and other projects near the City’s border.
• Engagement with the South Carolina Main Street Program.
• Maintenance and improvement discussions with Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation District.
• Standing by to assist the Northside (Simmons St.) Park property owners as they clear title through the probate courts.
Looking Ahead
• Tuesday, September 22: Planning Commission work session and regular meeting at 5:30pm and 6:00pm. Materials on the city’s website.
• Thursday, September 24: Coffee with the City at Third Space Coffee & Bakery 803 E. Rutherford Street at 9:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, September 29 and Wednesday, September 30: Special Council Meetings to interview City Administrator finalists in executive session at 6:00pm.
• Wednesday, September 30: final day of the Interim City Administrator’s contract.
• October: engagement with our third-party independent auditors begins for the FY 2025-2026 audit.
• Tuesday, October 13: next regular Council work session and Business Meeting. Full agenda and packet will be posted a week in advance consistent with our publication standard.
• Continued follow-up engagement on the Saluda Grade Trail. More information at saludagradetrail.org.
• Saturday, October 31: Halloween Stroll-North Trade Avenue/Downtown Landrum-Main Street from 5:00p.m.-7:00p.m.
• Every Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.: Landrum Farmers Market.
Questions or concerns? Reach us at 864.457.3000 or requests@cityoflandrumsc.com. We always want to hear from you.
Respectfully,
J.J. Sauve, Interim City Administrator
April Williams, Deputy City Administrator
Tricia Taber, Communications Director