Richland County Council leadership in 2016 unchanged

Torrey Rush will serve a second year as chairman of Richland County Council after a council vote Tuesday.

Greg Pearce, council's second-most senior member, was re-elected as vice chairman.

Rush was elected by an 8-3 vote. Julie-Ann Dixon, Norman Jackson and Joyce Dickerson dissented. Jackson and Dixon had nominated Dickerson to serve as chair.

The council chairman is responsible for presiding over and keeping order during meetings as well as appointing council members to committees and signing any resolutions, ordinances and other council-related documents, county attorney Larry Smith said.

Dickerson and Jackson nominated Dixon to replace Pearce as vice chairperson. Dixon, Jackson, Dickerson, Kelvin Washington and Jim Manning voted against Pearce.