Spartanburg County Council Unanimously Approves Juneteenth as Paid Holiday
The Spartanburg County Council has unanimously voted to recognize Juneteenth as an official county holiday. This decision means county buildings will be closed on June 19, though essential emergency services, such as 911 operations, will continue without interruption.
The county estimates that implementing this new paid holiday will incur a cost of approximately $200,000.
District 1 representative Monier Abusaft spearheaded a six-year campaign advocating for formal county recognition of Juneteenth. Abusaft also established Juneteenth Inc. in Spartanburg in 2016.
Other areas in South Carolina have also recognized Juneteenth as a holiday. Columbia City Council was the first in the state to grant city employees a paid day off for Juneteenth in August 2020. Richland County Council added Juneteenth as a county holiday on October 4, 2022. Additionally, Charleston County Council unanimously voted on October 12 to recognize Juneteenth as a county holiday, making it the 14th paid holiday annually for its county employees. Charleston County projected its recognition of Juneteenth would cost about $100,000 in holiday pay for employees required to work.
