BLYTHEWOOD – With a turnout of 700 voters, the answer to
what kind of government Blythewood residents will have going forward is
settled.
In a vote of 381 – 319, with 50 early votes and two
provisional votes, electors chose to change Blythewood’s form of government
from a mayor-council form of government to a council-manager form of
government.
The new council-manager form of government will go into
effect in November, 2025.
At issue was whether the town should operate under a
mayor-council form of government in which much of the power to make decisions
and oversee the daily operations of the Town government rests with the mayor,
or whether it should operate under a council-manager form of government in
which a professional manager oversees the day- to-day operations of the
government.
In May, four members of a divided council voted to call for
a referendum to change the town’s form of government from a mayor-council form
to a council-manager form.
“On Tuesday, the residents of Blythewood cast their votes in
the referendum posing the question should Blythewood change our form of
government,” Councilman Rich McKenrick said in a statement released following
the election. “The ‘YES’ vote is evidence that Blythewood is up to the
challenge of laying a foundation for our residents for generations to come. I
look forward to being part of the decision-making process while making this
transition. Thank you to all the voters who voted on both sides of this issue.
Now it’s time for Blythewood to move forward.”
While there were a number of hiccups running up to the
referendum, one involved Blythewood Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock posting a copy
of his ballot to his personal Facebook page.
According to the Director of Internal Affairs at the State
Election Commission, John Michael Catalano, the Commission received complaints
from the community about the post.
“We did get reports yesterday from the public about the post
and a snapshot of the post.” Catalano said. “Anytime there is a potential
offence against election laws, we refer the matter to SLED, and we did refer
that report to SLED.”
Brock posted the following apology on his Facebook Page
after removing the post:
“Earlier this morning, I took a photo of my ballot and
posted it on my personal social media page. I was alerted that this was against
South Carolina law and promptly removed it. While I was not aware that this was
a violation of state law, ignorance is not a viable excuse. A few individuals
grabbed screenshots and posted them online; which is their responsibility to
hold elected officials accountable. I apologize to the citizens of Blythewood
for this oversight and if there are repercussions, I accept them 100%. It was [not]
and is never my intent to violate any state law.”
Following the vote count, Brock posted this statement:
“First I want to thank everyone who came out and voted YES
or NO. It’s great to see the turnout and truly speaks to the passion that the
citizens of Blythewood have for this town.
“To address the passing of the referendum, it’s time to
get to work, and that 100% includes the mayor. Mayor Griffin was the mayor
yesterday, he’s the mayor today, and he’s the mayor tomorrow. And the body is
encouraged to work with this mayor to continue to move Blythewood forward. This is a beautiful town, a beautiful
community and the passing of the referendum only enhances these qualities.
Whether you supported or opposed the referendum, we look forward to hearing from
everyone regarding Blythewood’s future. “
“Today is a good day for Blythewood. First and foremost,”
said Councilwoman Andrea Fripp. “I’d like to thank you, the residents of
Blythewood, who came out and exercised your right to vote.
“This is what democracy looks like!” she continued.
“We are moving forward in a direction that supports the explosive growth
in our community. And, we have the opportunity to work together to build a
better Blythewood.
“In the end, we, the people, have spoken. Now, we can all
move forward and get to the business of governing in a more fair and balanced
way,” Fripp said.
The Voice requested comments from both Mayor Sloan Griffin
and Councilwoman Erica Page but did not immediately receive responses.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – For the second time in about a year, Fairfield County has sold county industrial sites that they later found out lack utility services.
After calling for the approval of the agenda at Monday
night’s regular council meeting, Chairman Clarence Gilbert passed a document to
Councilman Oren Gadson who read it aloud.
It was a motion emphasizing that an exigent circumstance
exists or will exist if a resolution by Fairfield County Council authorizing
the transfer and expenditure of funds to provide critical repairs to the
Fairfield Commerce Center is not added to the current meeting agenda for the
body’s consideration and desired action before the conclusion of this meeting.
“What you have in front of you tonight is a request to
authorize the expenditure of up to $600,000 out of reserve contingency funds of
the county, unrestricted reserves,” Fairfield County Administrator explained to
council.
“The issue at hand,” he said, “is that, as you know, we have
two industrial projects currently underway in the park, BOMAG’s expansion and
Mega metal.
“It was recently discovered,” Carpenter said, “that in
the process of constructing the site, some fundamental work that is inherent in
what the industrial park is supposed to be, was never built, and that is the
laying of conduit and necessary infrastructure to provide the electrical
services inside the park.
“That is the responsibility of the developer of the park,
not Dominion and not the companies, but the county,” Carpenter said. “Roads,
water, sewer, utilities are the county’s responsibility.
“For whatever reason, that [conduit] was never put in the
ground,” he said.
“We need to get this done now because we’ve already signed
contracts, they’re already bringing people on site,” he said, “and they’re
going to start work in the next six weeks on these projects in real.”
Also, Carpenter said, the preferred contractor for Dominion
is currently on site for BOMAG, so the county can take advantage of Dominion
being there right now, and they can jump on this right away.
“The anticipated cost is not going to be $600,000 but I’m
requesting that authority just in case they discover something unknown or
unanticipated,” Carpenter said, “so we can take care of it at that point in
time.”
He said he would keep the council briefed and updated.
“I will tell you this is not the way we should do this,” he
said. “But, unfortunately, this is the reality of where we are right now, that
we have to get this done in order for these projects to proceed forward,”
Carpenter concluded.
Councilman Don Goldbach asked for clarification on how the
agenda item came to be voted on.
“As a matter of process, this was not on the published
agenda, so how is it that we – I mean, what’s the process for allowing us to
actually vote on this this evening?” Goldbach asked.
“This amendment will allow us to vote on it,” Carpenter
explained. “The terms as written are taking into account South Carolina law so
that we are compliant with law.
“This is an exigent issue,” Carpenter repeated. “We don’t
have time to put it out for bid. We don’t have time to spec it out. Their
contractors start work in a matter of weeks, and without having a second
meeting in July, as it is, it would put it into August before we could have it,
or we’d have to have a called meeting, but we’d lose more time.
“So this is what is considered legally an exigent
circumstances where time is of the essence,” he said.
Next Information Session set for 6 p.m. on July 14 at Doko Manor
BLYTHEWOOD – “While one form of government may describe, specifically, what our [council’s and mayor’s] individual roles are, it’s like a marriage. If I cannot on a daily basis communicate effectively with my wife, our marriage is not going to be successful. If the people in these [council and mayor] roles cannot work together, they’re not going to be effective.”
That was the message Monday morning from Charlie Barrineau,
Senior Field Services Manager with the Municipal Association of South Carolina,
during an informational meeting for members of the Blythewood community held at
Doko Manor concerning the upcoming referendum on changing the Town’s form of
government.
In the referendum (vote) set for July 29, Blythewood voters
will go to the polls to decide whether they want to maintain the mayor-council
form of government they have now (with a ‘No’ vote) or change to a
council-manager form (with a ‘Yes’ vote). If they vote to change it, the new
council-manager form of government will go into effect on the fourth Monday of November,
2025.
The town manager does not have the authority to change the bottom line. That is still a policy decision made jointly by council members and the mayor.
Charlie Barrineau, MASC Senior Field Services Manager
With misinformation spreading across Facebook like wildfire, Barrineau was asked by the Interim Town Administrator Ed Driggers to give the community objective information about the two forms of government.
During Monday’s meeting, Barrineau, who served as city
manager of Greenwood for almost 10 years and worked in a council-manager form
of government for 18 years, shared information about each of South Carolina’s
three forms of government: the mayor-council form, the council-manager form and
the council form.
Because the third form – the ‘council’ form of government is
not relative to the July 29 referendum, it will not be discussed in this
article.
Throughout his presentation, Barrineau emphasized that all
three forms of government can and do work well, but that all three can and do
have problems.
He also pointed out that of the 271 towns and cities in
South Carolina, most of them are extremely small – 122 have less than a 1,000
population, 206 have less than the population of Blythewood, and 230 towns have
less than 10,000 people. Only 41 towns in the state exceed the 10,000
population.
“These [smaller towns and cities] typically are
mayor-council forms of government (as in Blythewood). There is some preference
in the larger communities for the council-manager form of government,”
Barrineau said.
“Blythewood is unique in that you don’t have a lot of
services that we see in many of our municipalities, but you’re getting into the
middle population size, the medium-sized communities,” he said, noting that
Blythewood is one of the fastest growing towns in South Carolina. “You’re
probably growing in a direction where you may be able to afford some services
in the future.”
Charlie Barrineau speaks to the attendees at the Monday morning meeting. | Barbara Ball
Forms of government used by smallest and largest S.C. towns
Of the 135 towns that have mayor-council forms of
government, 85 have populations under 1,000, and 3 have populations over
25,000.
Of the 102 towns that have council forms of government, 36
have populations under 1,000, and 3 have populations over 25,000.
Of the 34 towns that have the council-manager form of
government, 1 town has a population under 1,000, and 11 have populations over
25,000.
Here’s what Barrineau had to say about the two forms of
government Blythewood residents will be voting on.
In all three forms of government, the legislative function
remains with the council (which consists of the mayor and the other council
members). The major difference in the three forms is where the executive and
administrative powers and responsibilities of the local government are vested.
Mayor-Council Form of Government
Under the mayor-council form of government, the council
(which, in all three forms of government, always consists of the mayor and the
other council members) is the legislative body. Collectively, the majority of
the body sets the Town’s policies for the community. A majority of council also
selects or appoints a city attorney, city judge, clerk to council, and they
have authority over and approve the budget, which is the foundation of their
policies, according to Barrineau.
Barrineau emphasized several times throughout his
presentation that the term council always includes both the mayor and all the
other members of council. The mayor is never separate from the council in any
of the three forms of government.
“In the mayor-council form of government, the mayor is,
specifically, the presiding officer of council and chairs the meetings, by law;
serves as the chief executive officer; is charged with running the day-to-day
operations of the town; has oversight of all the departments and staff; and
prepares the annual budget and monthly financial statements and submits them to
council.”
Barrineau pushed back against the use of the term ‘strong
mayor.’
“I do not use the term ‘strong mayor’ in training classes,”
he said. “I think it gives the perception that the mayor may have more
authority than he or she does.”
“These are the official responsibilities of the mayor and
council ‘on paper,’” Barrineau said. “Now let’s talk about how this works in
reality.”
He gave an example of the mayor’s responsibility under state
law in the mayor-council form of government where the mayor appoints department
directors, and he used the hiring of a police chief for illustration.
“The police chief is a very, very public position, maybe
more so than the mayor. There are some mayors who would take the position that,
‘Well, the law says that it’s my call. I make the decisions. I’m going to
appoint this person.
“That’s what the law says,” Barrineau said. “But here’s
where we need to dance, and where the marriage comes in. We’ve also got four
council members. They’re elected officials, too. And so, in this relationship,
if we fail to communicate to the body what we’re doing, we’re not going to be
successful – I see it across the state and could give you many situations,”
Barrineau said.
“If the council’s not aware of the hire, and [one of them]
goes to the grocery store and someone taps [that council person] on the
shoulder, saying …’I hear we have a new chief of police. Tell me about
him/her.’ Well, if that mayor went down that path of, ‘Well, it’s my
authority,’ …I can tell you what my wife tells me when I think I have the
authority. She puts me in my place,” Barrineau said. “I’m just trying to
explain the reality of the forms of government.
“When there’s communication and when all these folks have a
servant mindset and are trying to do what is right, beautiful. The dance can
work.”
The mayor cannot be fired by council or unelected at any
time by the voters. If the public becomes disenchanted with the mayor or a
council member, those council members and the mayor are allowed to continue in
their elected seats until their terms expire.
Council-Manager Form of Government
“The council-manager form of government grew out of the
early 1900’s in what we refer to as the progressive movement,” Barrineau said.
“That was a time when the big cities were controlled by the mafia. The mafia
was trying to run it so that the mayor could say, ‘Get this person a job.’ With
the council-manager form of government, we’re trying to get that [kind of
hiring] out of this system,” Barrineau said.
He explained that, when he served as a town manager, if his
mayor or council member asked him to hire someone, he would put that person’s
name into the group of people applying and would try his best to interview that
individual with the same lack of bias that he would the other applicants.
In the council-manager form of government, the town manager
(also referred to as town administrator as in Blythewood) is the chief
executive officer. He hires, fires, and oversees staff, including the town
clerk; affixes salaries that are specified in the budget; and can have the
authority – if granted by council – to move money between departments or line
items.
“But the town manager does not have authority to change the
bottom line. That is still a policy decision made jointly by council members
and the mayor,” Barrineau said. “In addition to preparing and submitting the
budget to council, the town manager also prepares and submits monthly financial
statements to council.
“If council is not receiving monthly financial statements,
we’ve got to stop and figure out what’s going on,” he said. “Of all the
challenges we see in our local government, that is the number one challenge.”
Barrineau also explained that the council and mayor jointly
retain all authority to appoint the town’s boards and commissions.
“The town manager can advise council on policies and
departments, but it’s the council’s decision to continue a policy or to add or
eliminate a department,” Barrineau said.
“In any sensitive position, the town manager is going to be
communicating with all council members, not just one, but all, saying: ‘You
know, Mr. Mayor, Ms. Councilwoman, I’m getting ready to terminate this or that
employee …’ The manager will want to give a heads up to that elected official
who has to go to church and to the grocery store in the community and would
need to know what’s going on.”
While the mayor has no formal authority under state law
beyond that of serving as a member of council, he/she presides at meetings of
council by tradition and may exercise “informal” authority as leader of
council/staff and as spokesperson for the council.
As an example of this, Barrineau referenced the influence of
Columbia’s Mayor Rickenman who operates under the same form of government the
Blythewood mayor would operate under if the referendum passes. Because of
Rickenman’s popularity and his ability to speak and communicate with the
public, he is generally considered, like influential mayors Benjamin and Coble
before him, to be the spokesperson for the City of Columbia.
While a town manager/administrator can be fired at any time
by council and the mayor jointly, the mayor cannot be fired by council. He/she
is allowed to serve however many years until his term is up.
Barrineau will conduct a second informational meeting for Blythewood residents on Monday, July 14, at 6 p.m., at Doko Manor.
Breaking Down the Forms of Government
South Carolina law allows municipalities to organize under
one of three forms of government. It also allows municipalities to change the
form of government by referendum.
Although each of the three forms have unique structures,
some things remain the same in all instances. For example, in all three forms
of municipal government in South Carolina, all legislative and policy making
authority rests with the council. All councils must meet at least one time per
month and comply with the notice and agenda requirements in the SC Freedom of
Information Act. In all cases, the mayor, or a majority of council, can call
special meetings.
Full information is available in the Forms and Powers of
Municipal Government handbook, along with a list of which municipality has
which form of government. Here are some basics for the form of government
Blythewood currently operates under and the form the residents are being asked
to vote for:
Mayor-council (Blythewood’s current form of government) SC Code Title 5, Chapter )
The council has four or more councilmembers, plus the mayor
holds all legislative and policy power.
can hire an administrator to “assist the mayor in his office.”
appoints the municipal clerk, attorney and judge.
adopts the balanced budget, which is prepared for council by the mayor.
The mayor
votes as a member of council and presides over council meetings.
serves as chief executive officer, supervising departments, as well as appointing and removing employees in accordance with personnel rules adopted by council.
prepares and submits the budget and capital program to council, and makes the annual financial report to the public and to council.
Council-manager (the proposed form of government for Blythewood) SC Code Title 5, Chapter 13
The council
has either four, six or eight council members, plus the mayor.
holds all legislative and policy power.
employs a manager, attorney and judge.
adopts a balanced budget, which is prepared for council by the manager.
The mayor
has no additional power compared to other council members.
has no administrative responsibilities.
presides at council meetings by tradition, not statutory authority.
may exercise informal authority as leader of council and staff as spokesperson for the council.
The manager
serves as chief executive and head of the administrative branch, appointing and removing employees, including the clerk, and setting salaries.
prepares and administers the annual budget and makes financial reports.
advises council on departments and appointments.
performs administrative duties only if authorized to do so by council.
presides at council meetings by tradition, not statutory authority.
may exercise informal authority as leader of council and staff as spokesperson for the council.
WINNSBORO – During a uniform patrol at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, July 2, a Winnsboro Department of Public Safety officer was radio dispatched to a shooting at the corner of N. Vanderhorst Street and Fairfield Street in Winnsboro.
Upon arrival, the officer reported a 15-year-old male juvenile lying on the ground and another male holding a piece of clothing to the juvenile’s leg, attempting to stop bleeding from three gunshot wounds. Officers report that he was shot from a passing vehicle.
The juvenile was transported by EMS to Richland Prisma Health where his gunshot wounds were determined to be non-life threatening. He was released that night.
According to Winnsboro Chief of Police Patrick Clemons, WDPS
is looking at video surveillance of suspect vehicles.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
RIDGEWAY – Sixty-four homes are one step closer to coming to Ridgeway.
On June 26, the Fairfield County Planning Commission unanimously
approved the proposed Rockton Place subdivision to be built off South Coleman Highway
in Ridgeway.
No rezoning was required. The favorable recommendation now
heads to Fairfield County Council for consideration.
Joseph Toledo, community development department director, said
prior to the vote that Rockton Place complies with Fairfield’s land management
ordinance.
“The proposed site plan for 64 residential lot sites aligns with
the county’s regulations governing land use and there are no apparent deviations
from the applicable standards as approved,” Toledo said.
Sidewalks are not included in the proposed site plan but they
could be added later on, Toledo added.
Ken Queen, the applicant for Rockton Place, said homes would
start at 2,500 square feet.
Since Rockton Place will consist of predominantly custom built
homes, exact pricing data is unavailable. The development team said a pair of Columbia
area homebuilders would be building the custom homes.
“We’ve gone the non-traditional route. We’re not using a track
or production builder. We’re using two of the finest custom builders in the Columbia
area,” Queen said. “Both were agreeable with the minimum of 2,500 square feet. That’s
set in the restrictive covenants that have already been drawn.”
Clay Cannon, an engineer associated with the project, said the
development’s low density makes it attractive to buyers and existing residents,
alike.
“This is beautiful property, and the development team’s desire
was to maintain the integrity of the land,” Cannon said. “There are two beautiful
ponds that are on the property. We’re looking for low density, a minimum of one
acre per lot size.”
According to planning records, Rockton Place will be built on
property to the west of South Coleman Road, near Geiger Elementary School. A series
of roads connecting the subdivision with South Coleman Road include Rockton Place
Ave., Rockton Ponds Drive, Rockton Woods Lane and Rockton Ridge Court.
The development will be served by Ridgeway (Winnsboro) water.
Sewer services will be via septic tank.
Randy Bright, a Ridgeway resident who often speaks publicly
about Fairfield County matters, praised the subdivision, touting the generous lot
sizes and relatively low density. He told planning commission members he hopes that
future subdivisions are similarly well thought out.
“When we get a developer in Fairfield County that checks all
the good boxes that you have mentioned and checks the good acreage boxes, it’s a
good day. It’s a rare day,” Bright said. “It’s the first real subdivision we’ve
had in a decade aside from the Teacher Village. I think that it could be the beginning
of something very big. Looking online at the builders, it looks like we have got
a good product here for the people who may move in. it will be a positive thing
for the entire area.”
Bright went on to “make a plug” for instituting development fees
to help offset impacts from new residential development, saying future growth is
inevitable.
“We have a very fragile infrastructure. It doesn’t adequately
serve our county now,” he said. “If our county is going to truly grow without putting
undue stress on developers, without harming the prices of new homes, we have to
have implementation of development fees.“
Bright drew a distinction between development fees and impact
fees, saying development fees are more appropriate for Fairfield.
“Development fees are less expensive than impact fees and have
fewer boxes to check,” Bright said. “Without development fees up front, we simply
cannot support much more growth.”
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed for a second time the operating license of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 1, for an additional 20 years. V.C. Summer Unit 1 is a pressurized-water reactor in Jenkinsville, South Carolina. Its license will now expire on Aug. 6, 2062.
The NRC’s review
of the Dominion Energy South Carolina Inc. application requesting authorization
to operate from 60 to 80 years proceeded on two tracks. A safety evaluation report
was issued in February 2025, and a final supplemental environmental impact statement
was issued in May 2025. These documents, as well as other information regarding
the V.C. Summer subsequent license renewal application, are available on the NRC
website: https://www.nrc.gov/ reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/ applications/virgil-summer-subsequent.
html
Additional
information about the license renewal process can also be found on the NRC’s website.
BLYTHEWOOD – A special election for the Town of Blythewood will
be held on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, so that residents of the Town can vote as to
whether or not they want the Town of Blythewood to change the form of its
government from a mayor-council form to the council-manager form.
Informational Meetings
Two election informational meetings will be held at Doko
Manor on Monday, July 7, at 11 a.m. and on Monday, July 14, at 6 p.m. Doko
Manor is located in Doko Park at 100 Alvina Hagood Circle.
Non-political officials of the Municipal Association of
South Carolina will be on hand to objectively explain and answer questions
about the different roles and responsibilities of elected officials and staff
in each form of government – mayor/council form and council/manager form – in
light of the Town of Blythewood special election (referendum) that will take
place on July 29.
Voting Information
Only persons who live inside the boundaries of the Town of
Blythewood can vote in the election. People who live in the unincorporated area
of 29016 are not eligible to vote in this election.
Those who live in the town and wish to vote in the
referendum must register no later than Sunday, June 29, 2025.
Voter registration by mail applications will be accepted if
postmarked by Monday, June 30, 2025.
Early Voting
Early voting will begin on Monday, July 14, 2025, and ends
on Friday, July 25. The early voting center will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5
p.m., Monday through Friday (closed Saturday and Sunday.)
The Early Voting Center in Richland County is located at the
voter registration and elections office at 2020 Hampton St., Columbia, SC
29204.
Absentee Voting
Registered electors who cannot vote in person on the day of
the election and/or who will be out of the country for the duration of early
voting may be eligible to vote by absentee ballot. Completed applications must
be returned no later than 5 p.m., on the eleventh day before the day of the
election. Call, visit, or send your absentee ballot application request by U.S.
mail.
The Richland county voter registration office mailing address
is P. O. Box 192, S.C. 29202 and the phone number is 803-576-2240.
At 9 a.m. on Monday, July 28, 2025, the Richland County
Board of Voter Registration and Elections will begin its examination of the
absentee ballot return envelopes.
At 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, the Richland County
Board of Canvassers will hold a hearing to determine the validity of all
provisional ballots cast in this election. This hearing will be held at
Richland County Voter Registration and Elections Office, 2020 Hampton Street,
Columbia, SC 20204.
The following polling places will be open during the
election from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on election day.
SC Governor Henry McMaster joins state and county officials to break ground at the new site. | Fairfield County
RIDGEWAY — On Tuesday, June 25, Fairfield County officials joined executives from FAYAT Group to break ground on a new distribution center.
The ceremony, held at FAYAT Group’s new site in Ridgeway,
celebrated the start of construction on a facility that will support FAYAT
Group’s North American operations by improving logistics, streamlining parts
distribution, and enhancing customer service capabilities.
“FAYAT Group’s decision to expand its operations here in
Ridgeway represents not only a major investment in infrastructure, but also a
reaffirmation of faith in this community—its people, its potential, and its
future,” said Fairfield County Council chair Clarence Gilbert.
The new FAYAT distribution center will expand FAYAT Group’s
footprint, allowing the company to more efficiently deliver equipment and parts
across the continent. It will also support the company’s long-term strategy of
centralizing its North American operations at its Ridgeway headquarters.
“FAYAT moved its BOMAG North American headquarters to
Fairfield County just over 10 years ago to leverage several strategic benefits
– being close to port of entry, proximity to an air hub for spare parts
distribution, and offering the opportunity for year-round sales and service
training – for the purpose of being closer to and better serving our
customers,” said Rob Mueckler, General Manager of FAYAT North America.
“FAYAT Group’s $13.7 million expansion once again proves
that South Carolina provides existing businesses with the resources needed to
find continued success. We’ve built a culture that supports businesses every
step of the way, because we know thriving companies like FAYAT build vibrant
communities” Said Governor Henry McMaster.
The FAYAT Group was founded in 1957 in Libourne, France, and
has grown to become the largest independently owned construction company in
France. FAYAT group has more than 230 subsidiaries in 170 countries. With this
latest expansion, FAYAT Group continues to demonstrate its commitment to
innovation and operational excellence in the North American market.
WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Christopher Craig Andrews, 41, of Society Hill, SC, in connection with the theft of more than $50,000 in equipment from a property located on US Highway 21 N, near Ridgeway.
The theft occurred on or about April 15, when several
high-value items were reported stolen. Following an investigation, deputies
identified Andrews as a suspect and took him into custody on May 30. Several
stolen items have since been recovered.
“The success of this investigation was greatly enhanced by
the dedicated support of the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, whose
members contributed their time and resources to assist in the investigation and
apprehension of the suspect,” said Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery.
“Without their support, this outcome would not have been as successful.”
Andrews remains in custody.
Anyone who has purchased tools or equipment from Andrews is
urged to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, as the investigation
remains active and additional property is still unaccounted for.
Contact the Sheriff’s Office at 803.635.4141 or
Barry.Gilbert@fairfield.sc.gov.
Councilwoman Andrea Fripp said the strong mayor form of government allows for one person to “have a chokehold on town hall,” and that the council-manager form of government would allow a more fair and equitable governing body for Blythewood.
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to pass the first of two votes that are required to pass an ordinance calling for a referendum on the question of a change in the town’s form of government.
The 4-1/2 hour meeting was marked throughout by the
continued crippling dysfunction of a divided council and unruly outbursts from
several members of the audience. Mayor Sloan Griffin’s supporters heckled
council members throughout the meeting, but no one was gaveled.
The main attraction of the night turned out to be the donnybrook that ensued during the discussion and vote on the referendum which, if passed, will change the form of Blythewood’s government from mayor-council, in which the mayor oversees the day-to-day functions of the government, to a council-manager form of government, which is a system where an elected town council (including the mayor) is responsible for policymaking and budget approval, while a professional town manager, hired by the council and mayor, handles the administration.
The bickering that you see is about us trying to hold this mayor accountable.
— Andrea Fripp, Councilwoman
Hours before that, at the beginning of the meeting,
the council’s dysfunction was showcased during approval of the minutes. Minutes
from 12 different council meetings were submitted in the agenda to council for
approval by the clerk to council, who is hired by council but overseen by Griffin.
The minutes, dating as far back as February, 2025, had not been submitted to
council for approval until last month when, because of errors and missing
minutes, they were deferred until Tuesday night for approval.
Community Speaks Out
During the public hearing for the referendum, five
members of the audience spoke out against the referendum and two spoke in favor
of it.
“The United States has a president,” said speaker Kent
Boone who said he was opposed to the change in government. “The state has a
governor, and this town has a mayor. We believe in the unitary executive
principal and the executive. This theory that you will have a
council-administrator form of government, you need to look at the history of
where it started,” Boone said. “It was part of the progressive movement.”
Huffman Brown said he would vote against the
referendum. “My suggestion for this council is that you all find a moderator
that can help you all better communicate with one another. If you change this
form of government, then you’re going to be shielded by persons who are not
elected, but who are making these decisions. There ought to be a single person
making decisions for the town.”
Cindy Merritt said she supports not changing the form
of government. “That’s not going to help one bit. It’s been going on since this
panel was elected. It’s not going to change anything,” she said before
asking Griffin about his opinion of the change in government.
Griffin said he thinks everybody’s been lied to about
the real truth behind changing the form of government.
“Communications go both ways,” Griffin said. “There’s
plenty of residents out here that have called me. You have called me numerous
times,” Griffin said to Merritt. “It’s a lot, and that’s the best way I can put
it. Do your research, find out exactly and ask those tough questions. That’s a
problem when men and ladies can’t conversate with their differences. So that’s
where we’re at. That’s my opnion.”
Geraldo Jurado spoke in favor of changing the form of
government. “It still gives the mayor the authority and responsibility to do
his duties. It prevents corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse we see when you got
too much power in the hands of one person,” he said. “We have to have that
balance of power – checks and balances. It prevents one person from having all
the power. It gives our elected council members more of a say-so on critical
issues, contracts, and expenses.”
Edwin Sanchez placed blame for council’s current
dysfunction on Griffin. “As a leader, if you communicate up front, many of the
problems that occurred tonight, could have been avoided with advance notice and
advanced information,” Sanchez said, “While a strong mayor can work in some
places, it doesn’t here. A lot of the questions asked by council members seem
reasonable, Mr. Mayor, if you had provided that information up front. If there
is dysfunction in this group and this body of government that represents us,
the buck stops with you,” he said pointing to Griffin.
The referendum, if it passes, must be held within 90 days
after the day council votes to pass the referendum ordinance. According to
Interim Town Administrator Ed Driggers, that would put the vote at Aug. 6,
2025.
Council Says Why
Following the public hearing, council members had
their say about the referendum prior to the vote.
Griffin said it would be a waste of the town’s money
to hold it before the Nov. elections.
“So what’s the rush that you got to do it then and
spend $15,000?” Griffin asked.
“It’s an important issue, sir,” Brock said. “Four
people [on council] feel like we are in the dark,” he said.
“So you lied to the people in your press conference,”
Griffin said.
“We have told you countless times that there is a
breakdown in communication from you to this body,” Brock said.
Councilwoman Andrea Fripp spoke up.
“This strong mayor form of government allows for one person to have a chokehold on town hall. Under this form of government, this mayor threw himself an $18,000 Christmas party, and it was paid for by you, the taxpayers. Council had no involvement with the cost or the invitation list,” she said.
Fripp also talked about the generous bonuses and gifts
Griffin bestows on the staff without council’s knowledge or budget approval.
“And those bonuses all said, ‘from the mayor,’”
she said.
“Without council knowing, this mayor hired Ms.
[Tiffany] Cooks, knowing that she was under a SLED investigation for allegedly
stealing money from Williamsburg County where she was manager. Yet, he was so
determined to bring her to Blythewood to report directly to him, that he issued
an executive order. Council had to take legal action to stop him, and the judge
ruled in our favor,” Fripp said. “His friend was later indicted on over 25
counts.
“Then this mayor asked us to use your tax dollars to
pay his legal fees to the tune of thousands of dollars after he told you in the
news that there was nothing for you to worry about,” Fripp said. “Yet you’re
led to believe that he’s concerned about the cost of a special election.
“Be mindful of those who call this a coup, a cabal, or
even make this racial. This has been a one-man show. The bickering that you
see, that you all complain about, it’s about us trying to hold this mayor
accountable,” Fripp said.
Fripp explained that under the council-manager form of
government, an administrator, who is accountable to the entire council,
including the mayor, would run the day-to-day operations.
“It would be a more fair and equitable governing body, and at the end of the day, this mayor, pass or fail, will still be the mayor. He will still be the CEO,” she said.
Councilman Rich McKenrick told the audience that once
the mayor was elected there was a shift from transparency, which he (Griffin)
campaigned on.
“He used the slogan, ‘Town Hall is open for business,’
but it’s not open for business for council members when it comes to
information,” McKenrick said.
“On Tuesday, May 20, after receiving the agenda for
tonight,” McKenrick said. “I emailed the mayor, saying, “Mr. Mayor, will you
please provide the information/competitive pricing on the items to be discussed
on the agenda? The longer we have to review those, the better.”
“My email was not answered,” McKenrick said. “In good
conscience, I cannot approve spending $100,000 on HVAC equipment without the
proper information.”
McKenrick addressed Griffin’s secretiveness concerning
the management of town hall, saying he (McKenrick) requested information
concerning two different compensation adjustments given to an employee over a
couple-month period. He said the employee is one who was hired by council.
Council hires the clerk to court, the administrator, and the town attorney.
“[The mayor] said he had nothing to do with the
individual’s [compensation]. We were discussing what was done by prior
administrators,” McKenrick said. “I called both administrators. One said he had
absolutely nothing to do with it, that those compensation adjustments were made
prior to his hiring. The administrator who was employed by the town [at that
time] told me he had nothing to do with it. He was operating under the mayor’s
direction.
“So I was lied to,” McKenrick said.
McKenrick also said that the mayor instructed him that
council members would have to submit Freedom of Information Requests to obtain
town hall documents such as emails.
“When council members requested information on how
many times the Manor has been rented, what for, and how many times it was
donated to an organization, we couldn’t get it,” McKenrick said. “What we got
was a hodgepodge of entries in an antiquated financial system that we cannot
match up. Ed Driggers can’t match up. But what we do see is our mayor donating
this facility on his own accord for a banquet…a $4,500 rental fee forfeited by
the Town.
“Sloan Griffin is very good at being the mayor who is
the up-front face for Blythewood. He represents Blythewood very well when
you’re at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, meeting people, explaining what Blythewood
is all about,” McKenrick said.
“What he is not good at is the day-to-day financial
operations of this town,” he said. “That should come from a duly qualified
person sitting in a manager’s seat.”
Councilwoman Erica Page said she anticipated something
completely different when she was elected.
“I really wanted to do good for our community,” she
said. “This form of government prevents the staff from engaging or providing us
information because there is a fear of retaliation.”
Page, too, questioned Griffin’s ability to manage town
hall and do his job as a member of the Central Midlands Council of Governments.
“Mr. Mayor, when’s the last time you went to one of
the COG meetings?” Page asked. Griffin avoided answering, but Page persisted.
“When was the last time you went to one?”
Griffin paused, then answered. “It was earlier this
year,” he said. “I tuned in on Zoom.”
“When you’re not able to attend, are you looking at
Mayor Pro Tem Brock? Or the administrator [to attend]?” she said. “Has that
been the case?
“No,” Griffin answered.
“That’s why I’m frustrated and why you have the team you have,” she said, adding that Griffin was under-utilizing the interim administrator who she deemed offers a wealth of knowledge.
“I tried not to make this a public thing, but today,”
she said, “I am speaking up.”
Council voted 4-1 in favor of the referendum
ordinance, with Griffin voting against. The meeting ended at about 10:30 p.m.
Another meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 29, for council to discuss the budget and park safety.
