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Bennett started his new job as Allendale County administrator July 1.
In early June, Bennett -- who also had served as assistant town manager of operations, a job that no longer exists -- was laid off as the town struggled to eliminate tax and fee increases for residents. He'd been making an annual salary of nearly $100,000, up from $72,100 when he was hired by town in January 2006. Before that, he was vice president of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.
In Allendale County, Bennett said he will have a salary of $70,000.
After the layoff was announced at a council meeting last month, Bennett said he supported the change.
"This was not unexpected and (was) a necessary move for the sake of the budget of this town," he said then.
Bennett, who was responsible for organizing the town's hurricane readiness plan, hadn't been scheduled to leave Bluffton until Oct. 1.
He said he applied late last year for the job in Allendale County, which has been without an administrator since July 2008.
Bennett said Allendale has a population of about 10,700 people -- slightly smaller than that of Bluffton and one of the least populous counties in South Carolina.
Though he said the county has a "solid base of industry," including chemical, textile and lumber companies, the economy there is "struggling" and the unemployment rate is 23 percent.
Bennett said some of his first tasks include finishing quality-of-life capital improvement projects already under way, working with the school system to improve education and collaborating with surrounding counties to create new economic development opportunities.
"My job is to help county council find ways to maintain industry and small businesses here," he said. "... I'll work with the council to keep moving this county forward."
