LANDRUM- Caitlin Cothran, City of Landrum administrator since April 2013, will be leaving her position after August 9.

The announcement comes after Cothran said she was called by the state’s Municipal Association and offered a position as a director last month.

“I received a phone call about a month ago from the executive director from the Municipal Association, and she asked me about coming to talk to her about a position,” Cothran said. “They have someone retiring there and they asked me to head up a department down there and they do a couple of different things such as debt settle and collections.”

Cothran said this division of the Municipal Association is in charge of the major utilities in the state such as Duke Energy, AT&T and Charter.

The business license fees paid by these companies get sent to the Municipal Association and the association breaks these fees down and sends them to the counties and municipalities that are members of the association, according to Cothran.

“Instead of having Duke Energy pay all of the cities in the association themselves, the business just sends their fees to one place and they break the fees down for them,” Cothran explained. “They work with the Department of Revenue and Department of Insurance, so that’s what I will be doing.”

In a release dated July 18 from Mayor Robert Briggs, he stated that he and city council members are saddened to learn of Cothran’s move.

“These opportunities don’t happen every day and we at Landrum City Council are happy for Caitlin to have been offered this position,” Briggs wrote on Monday. “We are saddened because we will miss her and the dedication and commitment she has shown to our community. City Council knew when we hired Caitlin that we wouldn’t have her for long because she is a bright shining star and we knew she would be discovered.”

Since Cothran began in April 2013, the city has seen many new events around town including the Airing of the Quilts, which just had their second showing on N. Trade Avenue, and the Music at the Tracks summer series.

“The new and continuing events increased business activity, foot traffic, newfound interest in the area and made people happy,” Cothran reflected. “It created great activities for the citizens and a warm, inviting scene. Landrum is a pleasant place to be, it has an appealing atmosphere and people just want to be here.”

Although Cothran works as the city administrator for Landrum, she currently lives in Newberry, S.C., which is closer to Columbia where she will begin her job on August 15.

“I love Landrum, because they are wonderful and they’ve been so inviting and fantastic to me,” Cothran said. “I’m very sad for leaving, especially with such great people here.”