Pickens County reshapes Development Authority, reappoints members and adds mayoral seat

The Pickens County Board of Commissioners approved changes to the composition and terms of the Pickens County Development Authority and confirmed multiple appointments.

The chair (name not stated) said the authority's bylaws, in place since 1977, were reviewed and revised last December. Because state law now uses four‑year appointment terms instead of the prior six‑year terms, the board approved a resolution to reduce the authority's number of members from eight to seven to avoid potential tie votes.

The board reappointed three current authority members—Gary Edwards, Dan Poole and John Luke Weaver—with terms adjusted to expire Sept. 8, 2027. Todd Payne was reappointed with a term expiring Sept. 2025 to align with the new schedule. The board also appointed Kirk Radfield (identified in the meeting as the mayor of Jasper) to fill a vacancy with a term through Sept. 2027 and named Michelle Tidwell to replace Tony Young with a term expiring Sept. 2025.

All appointments and the board‑size change were moved, seconded and approved on the record. The chair said the authority members themselves reviewed the bylaws and recommended the adjustments.

The meeting record did not include vote tallies by commissioner name; motions were presented and recorded as approved on the floor.