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.
