Accusations sank McMaster ally’s bid to run agency, but he’s landed another SC job
Stephen Morris, whose nomination by longtime friend Gov. Henry McMaster to lead the state’s Department on Aging was scuttled last year after senators questioned his job qualifications, workplace morale and a decades-old discrimination claim, has a new state job.
Morris has been working at the state Department of Health and Human Services since Jan. 14, earning $111,649, according to the S.C. Department of Administration. In an email to The State, an agency spokesperson said Morris was not required to take a pay cut as part of the transfer.
“Recognizing Mr. Morris’ imminent transition from the Office on Aging,” Health and Human Services Director Josh Baker thought Morris’ transfer to Health and Human Services “would meet an immediate need of the department,” helping to procure sites for staff and training, according to the email.
The agency says volume of daily benefit applications has required the state agency to acquire additional space for staff and training.
The spokesperson said Morris’ background in local government and commercial real estate are consistent with his HHS duties. Morris worked for Colliers International South Carolina from 1977 to 2015. He also served on Richland County Council, including as the county’s economic development committee chairman, from 1993 to 2001.
The State’s efforts to reach Morris for comment Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning were unsuccessful.
State Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, whose Senate committee did not recommend Morris’ appointment to the full Senate, told The State she had no problem with Morris working for the agency as long as he held a position that he is qualified to do.
“I don’t have a problem with the man having a job,” Shealy said. “Everybody needs a job, so I don’t have a problem with that.”
However, Shealy said she questioned Morris’ salary, which matched his director salary at Aging but is on the low end of state agency head salaries, which range from below $100,000 a year to more than $200,000, depending on the agency. Baker’s salary, for example, is $181,689, among the highest paid state agency chiefs.
“So, he’s making the same thing as an agency director — I think that needs to be adjusted,” Shealy said. “That would be my comment.”
Baker offered Morris the job as a temporary grant employee, a grant-funded position, which gives state agencies “the flexibility to hire employees to fill time-specific positions funded by federal grants, interagency contracts, public charity grants, private foundation grants and research grants,” according to the agency’s statement.
As of Tuesday, the agency had 77 employees who held the same job classification, including Morris. Morris is not the highest paid employee who fits under the same job classification. However, his salary is higher than all but six Health and Human Services employees listed in the public database of state employee salaries.
The positions are renewed annually, and typically are only eliminated if the funds or need for the position is exhausted, the agency spokesperson said.
“With the recognition of the departmental need and after several conversations between Director Baker and Stephen Morris, Mr. Morris transferred ... to manage the increased agency facilities planning and procurement effort and work with county governments on improving the location and condition of SCDHHS’ 46-county operations,” the spokesperson said.
Then an acting director, Morris was rejected last May by the Senate to lead the state’s Department on Aging after senators questioned assertions of low morale, Morris’ qualifications to run a state agency responsible for connecting services and support to older South Carolinians and a decades-old discrimination claim from a former county council colleague.
The 40-worker agency used to be under the lieutenant governor, but was moved into the governor’s Cabinet after state voters decided to stop electing the lieutenant governor independently.
When Morris was rejected for the job, he did not step down, continuing to lead the agency after McMaster sent a letter to Morris directing him to remain the agency’s acting director until a new director was appointed and confirmed by the Senate — sparking a legislative battle between the governor and the Senate.
About a week after Morris transferred to Health and Human Services, the Senate unanimously approved former mental health counselor Connie Munn to run the agency. Munn joined the agency in November as its deputy director.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 12:44 PM.
