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UNION — The New Year will get off to a formal start this year with the swearing in of elected officials and county law enforcement personnel in ceremonies at the Union County Courthouse and Carlisle Town Hall.

All but one of the county officials elected or reelected in November must be sworn in by the Union County Clerk of Court at the beginning of their new term in office.

Clerk of Court Freddie Gault said Friday that he will swear in Sheriff David Taylor and his deputies during a ceremony at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the main courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse.

While Taylor is being sworn in because he won reelection in November, Gault said his deputies must also be sworn in at the same time. Gault said deputies serve at the pleasure of the sheriff and the law requires that when a sheriff, either newly elected or reelected, is sworn in, the deputies that serve under them must be sworn in as well.

Gault, who was appointed clerk of court by the governor, won a term in his own right in November and will also be sworn in. He, however, will be sworn in by a federal judge.

“U.S. Judge G. Ross Anderson will swear me in,” Gault said. “A judge normally swears the clerk of court in and the clerk can choose the judge. I’ve known him since 1989, since I worked in the federal system.”

Gault will be sworn in during a ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday in the courtroom.

On Saturday, Gault will travel to the Town of Carlisle to swear in Mayor Mary Ferguson-Glenn and Carlisle Town Council members Ronnie “Motor Car” Lyles and Maxine Spencer. They were also reelected in November general election.

Four Union County Council seats were also on the November ballot and Gault will swear the council members in at the next council meeting which will be held Jan. 8.

Taking the oath at that time will be District 2 Councilman Frank Hart who, after winning the election, was appointed to the vacant seat by Gov. Nikki Haley; District 3 Councilman Tommy Ford; District 5 Councilman Randall “Chump” Hanvey; and District 6 Councilwoman Kacie Petrie.

Editor Charles Warner can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 14, or by email at cwarner@heartlandpublications.com.