BLYTHEWOOD – With three votes for and two abstentions, council voted Monday night to repeal an ordinance passed in 2014 that established term limits of two consecutive four-year terms on town council members and the mayor. Voting to repeal the ordinance were Councilman Eddie Baugman who has one more year to serve on his second […]
Council, public undaunted by civility pledge
August 25, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council adopted a resolution Monday night as suggested by the S.C. Municipal Association for all city governments across the state, pledging to “practice and promote civility.” Shortly thereafter, things turned decidedly uncivil, as has frequently been the case in Blythewood Town Council meetings since the mayor began openly targeting The Voice […]
Council questions Chamber’s and Rodeo’s event financials
July 28, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council rejected a pair of belated funding requests from two special event promoters. Organizers of the Doko Rodeo and Doko Rib Fest Cook-off had received 80 percent funding upfront for their respective events, but their applications to receive the final 20 percent of their town event funding failed in a pair […]
Blythewood Council votes 4-1 against rezoning U-Haul property
June 30, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – After a Facebook campaign by some town leaders encouraging community members to speak out about the rezoning of an 18-acre property on Community Road, Town Council voted 4-1 against the rezoning request with Councilman Donald Brock voting for. U-Haul requested the rezoning of the property located in the 800 block of Community Road […]
TC passes first budget reading; authorizes property purchase
May 26, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – After considerable sparring over some of the ways the Town spends its money, Town Council unanimously passed first reading of its FY 2022 – 2023 budget Monday night. With one-time revenues from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding ($1,812,854) and a $250,000 earmark grant from the state government plus an almost 100 percent increase […]
Council authorizes Franklin to sue The Voice and others
May 12, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council voted 4-1 Thursday, May 5, to authorize Mayor Bryan Franklin, Town Administrator Carroll Williamson, and the Town’s outside attorneys David Black and Shannon Burnett to take legal action against The Voice and its publisher. While the Town has already sued MPA Strategies owner Ashley Hunter and threatened to sue Councilman […]
In searing public speech, BW mayor confuses conspiracy with routine journalism
May 5, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Mayor Bryan Franklin delivered his most chilling verbal attack to date on The Voice’s publisher and Councilman Donald Brock at the end of a joint town council/planning commission meeting Monday night. The subject matter was rambling, with multiple undocumented claims. Explaining that his speech was in response to The Voice’s editorial in the […]
Brock blasts lawsuit for not being authorized by council
April 28, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Just before Blythewood town council went into executive session April 20, for an update on the MPA lawsuit and countersuit from two of the Town’s outside attorneys, Councilman Donald Brock read a prepared statement that he did not recognize one of those attorneys, Nexsen Pruet Attorney David Black, as representing the Town in […]
Editorial: This newspaper won’t sell its soul for $29,400
April 28, 2022 By
Following an hour-long executive session on April 20, in which Nexsen Pruet attorney David Black and attorney Shannon Burnett updated council on two lawsuits the Town of Blythewood is involved in with MPA Strategies, Mr. Black told council that The Voice’s publisher has cost the Town almost $70,000 for FOIA requests submitted in regard to […]
Black: The Voice’s FOIA requests cost Town almost $70K
April 28, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Speaking before town council last Thursday morning prior to a 9 a.m. budget workshop, Nexsen Pruet attorney David Black blamed thousands of dollars of the Town’s legal expenses on FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests filed by The Voice in connection with two lawsuits the Town is involved in with MPA Strategies marketing […]
