A long-time Orangeburg County Voter Registration and Election Commission member arrested earlier this week has been serving for almost a decade without being reappointed, according to Gov. Mark Sanford’s office.

Sylvia B. Stephens, 58, of Bowman was arrested earlier this week on a charge of breach of trust with fraudulent intent. Police allege the charge stems from more than $47,000 reported missing from a Bowman day care facility.

On Friday afternoon, state Sen. John Matthews Jr. confirmed the woman arrested is the same Stephens who serves on the commission. He declined to comment on the allegations.

Commission Chairman Rut Thomas only said, “She was a good commissioner. She did her job.”

Stephens was first appointed in 1992, according to the commission’s Web site. Joel Sawyer, the governor’s spokesman, said she has not been reappointed to new term on the commission in about a decade.

She continues to serve, however, because the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation has not nominated anyone else to fill the position. The delegation nominates members who are then appointed by the governor, Thomas said.

“This individual has not yet been reappointed to her seat and is serving in a holdover status,” Sawyer said. He said the delegation attempted to reappoint her to a new term last year but, “We did not receive all the personal information required to make the appointment.”

State election officials will let delegation members know they can replace Stephens by nominating someone else for the seat, Sawyer said.

Asked what will happen if the delegation keeps Stephens in her position on holdover status, Sawyer said “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, if we come to it.”

Stephens was arrested after employees at the Hampton Child Care Development Center reported discrepancies in the facility’s financial records to Bowman police. The warrant against Stephens alleges she diverted the money from the center from 2003 to early this year.

On Wednesday, Stephens had her bond set at $5,000 by Magistrate Derrick Dash.

Bowman Police Chief Allen Kinsey said he does not expect any further arrests in the case, but the investigation is ongoing.

T&D Staff Writer Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at psarata@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5540.

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