10 Lexington SC government employees earn more than $100K. See who they are & what jobs they do

Lyn Riddle
·2 min read

The highest paid employee at the Town of Lexington makes $175,011, town records show.

She is Rachelle Moody, the first woman to hold the town’s top job, who was appointed town administrator in November from 75 applicants.

Moody previously was an assistant city administrator for North Augusta, where she also served for a time as acting administrator.

The town of 24,000 residents employs about 180 people. In all, 131 town employees earn more than $50,000, the salary cutoff set by the Legislature for public release.

The nine highest paid employees after Moody for the Town of Lexington are:

  • Stuart Ford, assistant administrator who served as interim administrator after Britt Poole’s left in June to run the Central Midlands Council of Governments, earns $167,211. He has worked for the town since January 2009.

  • Police Chief Terrence Green earns $133,203. He has been chief since October 2006. While a student at the University of South Carolina, Green began work as a reserve police officer for Lexington. He joined the department in 1993.

  • Finance director Kathy Pharr earns $130,416. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of South Carolina and was hired as finance director in March 2007.

  • Town attorney Bradford Cunningham earns $122,761. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, holding a bachelor’s in finance and a law degree. He was hired as town attorney in 2003. Fun fact, Cunningham was a part-time Sports Anchor for WZMJ 93.1 FM from August 2010 until May 2015.

  • John Hanson, director of Planning, Building & Technology, earns $122.033.

  • Municipal Judge Brian Jeffcoat earned $117,811. He is the town’s first full-time judge, appointed in 2015. He was a magistrate before the municipal judge position was created. He attended the University of South Carolina, earning bachelor’s and law degrees and was admitted to the Bar in 2000.

  • Randy Edwards, transportation director since August 2014, earns $119,953. He previously worked for Lexington County as the county engineer. He attended Drexel University, where he earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering and a masters in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering.

  • Parks and Sanitation Director Daniel Walker earns $108,035.

  • Clifford Koon, the town prosecutor since 2011, earns $106,891. He also serves as assistant town attorney. An Army veteran, Koon served from 1968 to 1969 as a helicopter mechanic in Vietnam . He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, with degrees in business administration and law and has practiced law since 1976.