South Carolina Department of Transportation
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 13, 1977 |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Headquarters | 955 Park St, Columbia, SC 29201 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | www |
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is a government agency in the US state of South Carolina. Its mission is to build and maintain roads and bridges and administer mass transit services.
By state law,[1] the SCDOT's function and purpose is the systematic planning, construction, maintenance, and operation of the state highway system and the development of a statewide mass transit system that is consistent with the needs and desires of the public. The SCDOT also coordinates all state and federal programs relating to highways. The goal of the SCDOT is to provide adequate, safe, and efficient transportation services for the movement of people and goods.
History
Creation
The roots of SCDOT trace back to the establishment of a five-member highway commission in 1917. Prior to 1917, county governments were entirely responsible for building and maintaining roads. The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 and the promise of federal money to build highways served as the impetus for the creation of the commission. However, the commission lacked "the authority to designate roads to be improved with federal funds and the power to supervise directly the work being done".[2][3]
SCDOT is the last iteration of two previous transportation-related state agencies. The first predecessor to SCDOT was the South Carolina Highway Department. On May 13, 1977, an act of the South Carolina General Assembly reformed the Highway Department as the Department of Highways and Public Transportation (SCDHPT).[4] The SCDOT was officially created in 1993 by the State Government Restructuring Act of 1993 which split the functions of the SCDHPT to establish the SCDOT and the Department of Public Safety.[5]
2016 arrests
In the summer of 2016, three former SCDOT employees were indicted by a grand jury on allegations that included, among other things, corruption and/or theft of agency property.[6]
First, Charles W. Shirley, a former field operations manager for SCDOT, was charged with criminal conspiracy and official misconduct in office as well as eight other counts. The indictment alleged that while Shipley worked at SCDOT, "he maintained secret ownership in a company that was doing work for his own division at SCDOT, and that he participated in awarding the work to his company and then supervised that work."[6][7]
Second, the former head of SCDOT’s traffic signal shop in District 1, Curtis C. Singleton, was charged with ten counts. The indictment alleged he "demanded and received cash bribes and kickbacks from contractors whose work he supervised and assigned."[6]
Finally, a former SCDOT inspector, Joe Edward Butler, was indicted on eight counts. It was alleged in the indictment that Butler sold agency equipment to contractors and kept the money for himself and "received kickbacks and other financial benefits."[6]
Shirley, who faced up to forty-six years in prison,[8] died in September of 2016, less than a month after he was charged with an additional four counts.[7][9] In March of 2017, Singleton pled guilty to seven counts, and Butler pled guilty to five.[10]
Organization
Commission and Secretary
The SCDOT is a department of the state government in the executive branch that reports to a cabinet secretary and a seven-member commission.[11] The Governor appoints one member of the commission and the Secretary of Transportation, who is a member of the Governor's cabinet.[1] The current secretary is Christy A. Hall.[12] The other six commissioners each represent a district. The commission districts coincide with the congressional districts of South Carolina. The commissioner is appointed for a term of four years by legislative delegation for that district, that is, the members of the General Assembly that represent voters in that district. The chairman is selected from among all seven members by a vote of the commission.
The secretary hires the division heads, who are known as Deputy Secretaries.
Divisions of the SCDOT
The SCDOT has at least three divisions: Engineering, Intermodal Planning, and Finance and Procurement.
The SCDOT is a centralized government agency. Planning, design, procurement, finance, and human resource functions all operate from the central office, or headquarters, in the state capitol of Columbia. The headquarters building is named for Silas N. Pearman, a former state highway engineer and chief commissioner of the agency.
Intermodal Planning Division
The Intermodal Planning Division comprises the Department of Planning and the Office of Public Transit. The latter oversees and supports the development of a mass transit system and administers the state and federal aid mass transit program.
Engineering Division
The Engineering division is the largest part of the agency. The Deputy Secretary for this division is traditionally known as the State Highway Engineer. The current Deputy Secretary is Leland Colvin.[13]
Finance and Procurement Division
The Division of Finance and Procurement is responsible for the federal aid reimbursements and other financial matters of the agency.
Engineering Districts
The SCDOT field offices are divided into seven districts headed by a District Engineering Administrator. The engineering district lines do not follow the same lines as the commission districts. Each District has responsibility for the maintenance, construction, traffic, and equipment (mechanical) operations within its boundaries. A district will oversee six to eight counties.
District offices are located in Columbia (District #1), Greenwood (#2), Greenville (#3), Chester, (#4), Florence (#5), Charleston (#6), Orangeburg (#7).
Current SCDOT Commissioners
| SCDOT Commissioners[14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | District | Professional Experience |
| T.J. Johnson | First Congressional District | "Johnson owns and operates automobile dealerships in South Carolina from the Grand Strand to the Pee Dee" and is a past president of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association.[15] |
| William B. "Bill" Dukes | Second Congressional District | Dukes owns a restaurant and catering company.[16] |
| Pamela L. Christopher | Third Congressional District | Pamela Christopher previously worked as an "economic development executive to support local, regional, and state economic development efforts in three states— South Carolina, Georgia and Wisconsin."[17] |
| Max K. Metcalf | Fourth Congressional District | "Metcalf was the Director of Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations in the Office of Governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr.; District Administrator for the Office of Congressman Bob Inglis; and Vice President of Public Policy with the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce until joining BMW in 2001."[18] |
| David E. "Gene" Branham, Sr. | Fifth Congressional District | Branham previously served for 20 years "as both a past chairman and a commissioner with the Kershaw County Transportation Committee."[19] |
| John Barnwell Fishburne | Sixth Congressional District | Fishburne "is the owner of Fishburne and Company Development Corporation" and he served "several terms on the Colleton County Planning Commission."[20] |
| Tony K. Cox | Seventh Congressional District | Cox is a "past chairman of the South Carolina Real Estate Commission and a former chairman of the Horry County Planning Commission."[21] |
| Vacant | Governor's First At-Large Appointee | N/A |
| Vacant | Governor's Second At-Large Appointee | N/A |
Bibliography
- Moore, John Hammond (1987), The South Carolina Highway Department, 1917–1987, Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, ISBN 0-87249-528-0
References
- ^ a b South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 57 – Highways, Bridges and Ferries, Section 57-1-30
- ^ Hammond, p. 47.
- ^ "Roads and Highways". South Carolina Encyclopedia. June 20, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ South Carolina General Assembly (May 13, 1977), Act 82 of the 102nd Session, retrieved April 10, 2007
- ^ South Carolina General Assembly (June 18, 1993), Act 181 of the 110th Session, retrieved April 10, 2007
- ^ a b c d "SCDOT officials indicted on corruption charges". WSPA 7NEWS. July 28, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Stevens, Matthew (September 15, 2016). "Ex-SCDOT employee facing new charges in kick-back scheme". WACH. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ "Former S. Carolina DOT workers charged with corruption in kickback scheme". Equipment World. August 2, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ "Indicted Ex-SCDOT Official Dies Suddenly - FITSNews". September 26, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Staff (March 20, 2017). "Former SCDOT employees plead guilty to public corruption charges". WRDW. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 1 – Administration of the Government, Section 1-30-10(B)(1)(ii)
- ^ scdot.org
- ^ Williams, Simon (May 18, 2023). "CCU hosts SC transportation leaders to discuss pavement improvement". WPDE. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Inside - Commissioners : administrative and governing authority of SCDOT". www.scdot.org. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "SCDOT announces commission member". Post and Courier. May 15, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "William B. "Bill" Dukes - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Pamela L. Christopher named Vice Chairman of the South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission". info2.scdot.org. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Max Metcalf Appointed to South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission Representing the 4th Congressional District". info2.scdot.org. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "David E. "Gene" Branham Sr. Named Chairman of South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission". info2.scdot.org. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Fishburne named chairman to SCDOT commission". Walterboro Live. January 29, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ "Tony K. Cox named Chairman of the South Carolina Department of Transportation Commission". info2.scdot.org. Retrieved September 30, 2023.