HARDEEVILLE --City administrator R. Shane Haynes has resigned in the wake of Tuesday's municipal elections in Hardeeville where a slate of challengers seized control of city council.

He asked his two assistant administrators also to resign.

On Thursday, the day of the incumbent council's last meeting, Haynes; assistant administrators Kevin Griffin and Jeff Slocum; and sitting councilwoman Bea Jones, a staunch ally of unseated Mayor Rodney Cannon, all offered their resignations.

"I was shocked," Jones said of hearing Haynes had asked for his deputies' resignations. Jones said her departure was simply fulfilling an on-hold retirement plan of moving to a 60-acre farm in Nebraska.

"I had met with Jeff (Slocum) that morning and the last I had heard, he was staying because he couldn't afford to leave."

Mayor-elect Bronco Bostick, who along with incoming council members Roy Powell and Mike Foskey took control of the five-person council, had run on a platform of replacing Haynes.

None of the three election winners could be reached for comment Friday.

With Jones' resignation, Brooks Willis is the only current council member set to return to serve on the new council, which will be sworn in at the June 5 council meeting.

When asked what the motive behind the resignations was, Brooks said, "My guess is that's what the public voted for."

City council attorney David Tedder will take over as interim administrator.

Jones' council seat will be filled during a special election, which Tedder said would be held within the next 13 weeks.

On Friday, after the personnel shake-up, city officials moved to reassure residents the high-profile absences would not affect basic government services.

City spokesman Jason Rogers wrote in a statement, "The grass will still get cut. Plans will still be reviewed. In short, everything is up and running and will stay that way as city staff helps in the transition to the newly-elected council."

Haynes will work through next Friday. He did not respond to a message seekingcomment Friday.

Jones lauded Cannon's 14 years in office, saying he was responsible for cleaning up Hardeeville's "good-ole boy system" and professionalizing its staff.

WHO'S OUT?

Voted out of office

• Mayor Rodney Cannon (who also serves as the fifth council vote)

• Councilman Earl Cooler

Resigned

• Councilwoman Bea Jones

• City administrator R. Shane Haynes

• Assistant administrator Kevin Griffin

• Assistant administrator Jeff Slocum

Gave up seat to run for mayor (and lost)

• Councilman Bill Horton