BLYTHEWOOD – The Manor, Blythewood’s event venue, hasn’t made a profit or broke even since it opened in 2015. Its net loss for fiscal year 2024-25 was the highest loss yet – a staggering $175,375.56, up $34,177.50 over the previous year’s net loss.
Documents received in Blythewood town hall’s Sept. 8 response to a Freedom of Information request from the Voice show a new pattern of lost Manor revenue that began in early 2024. That pattern shows reservations for the Manor, the amphitheater, and other park venues being increasingly ‘rented’ for free or at greatly reduced fees.
“According to the FOI documents received by The Voice, by not charging the fees reflected in the town’s ordinance, we lost about $134,600 on the Manor and amphitheater alone in 2024, and another $129,140 in 2025,” Councilman Rich McKenrick said. “Even if I was off some here, the loss totals somewhere in the neighborhood of $263,740,” McKenrick said. “How is that happening?”
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock said council has not authorized anyone, including the mayor, to comp or reduce fees for the Manor, and that it should not be happening.
“Chapter 93.02 of the ordinance approved by council stipulates what fees are to be charged for reservations. It states that the Manor director is required to enforce the fees adopted by council, but that he has the authority to negotiate fees within 30 days of an event,” Brock said.
In a video from a breakfast Mayor Sloan Griffin hosted at Lizard’s Thicket last summer, he denied that he negotiates Manor contracts for events or that he has access to the Manor booking system
“I don’t get into the negotiations unless there’s a global nonprofit that I know is benefiting directly to the town, and they contact me,” Griffin said. “I don’t have access to the Manor booking system …I am very strict on that.”
Griffin insisted that it is the Manor Director Fred Layman who makes the pricing decisions and deviations, not him (Griffin). “I’m not getting into how the director prices it, because that’s his job,” Griffin said.
Last week, Blythewood’s Interim Administrator Ed Driggers turned over what he said is evidence to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department against Layman. Town Hall says the documents concern the Town’s internal investigation of payments that were not turned in on time for a cheerleading program’s reservations for practices held at the Manor over an eight month period.
Still, at least 14 free rentals listed in the Manor events bookings since mid-2024 include the following notations: “per the mayor,” “event at no charge per the mayor,” “mayor waved the fee,” “mayor comp,” “as per mayor,” and “a gift from the town.”
The mayor’s Executive Assistant Sharon Durst (who also serves as the Town’s Clerk to Council) told The Voice that she doesn’t know who paid for the reservations for a birthday party that was held in her honor at the Manor on July 7, 2024. Manor records show there was no payment for the July 7 reservation.
Next to the comped reservation for Richland County Council Vice-Chair Derek Pugh on the Manor reservation list is the notation: “Mayor.” Former Blythewood Town Councilman Larry Griffin was the recipient of comped reservations. A member of the Blythewood Chamber confirmed to The Voice that it was the mayor who authorized a free comp for the Chamber’s Gala last spring.
After stories were published about Pugh’s comped (free) reservations, Town officials said he negotiated to pay the Town $1,000 in lieu of the total $7,300 reservation cost for two events – a Friday, March 17, 2025 party for his mother-in-law, and a Saturday, Aug. 1, 2025 party for his sister-in-law. Layman says he was asked by the mayor to sit in on the negotiations, but that it was the mayor who negotiated the payment.
Layman sent the following email to his assistant, Kimberly Kacsur on July 28, 2025.
“Just to be clear. The Mayor booked the Pughs through you, correct? [The Manor’s reservation system, Pitbull] says ‘per Mayor’ with zero balance and zero due in May. Which is what we always do. So, you have done your job correctly.
“However, I would double check with the Mayor because I did not approve of that. I did not know what [Mrs. Pugh] paid or was going to pay as Pitbull was down when that meeting occurred. I do not have the authority to discount or comp. I simply relayed the amount to charge as told by the Mayor at a meeting with Derek Pugh the day before I left …In fact, it should probably be in writing, the amount he wants to charge the Pughs.”
Layman has been on medical leave since that time.
FOI’d documents obtained by The Voice raise questions regarding information in the Manor’s reservation listings.
A notation “as per mayor” was included on a comped memorial service reservation at the Manor for one of the mayor’s top political supporters who passed away during the referendum campaign.
Fees waived for the comped and reduced reservations, range as high as $4,500 per reservation, according to the Town’s Manor ordinance. Besides the 14 comped reservations since January, 2024, another 21 Manor reservations have been substantially reduced.
E-mails from Griffin to Layman show that the mayor has authorized free and reduced-rate rentals.
In an email dated Nov. 12, 2024, Griffin wrote to Layman: “First, I have to thank you for the amazing job you’re doing with the Manor and the Park …I’m officially authorizing two price changes: Blythewood Chamber of Commerce Christmas Gala – No Charge – and a Family Thanksgiving Day Dinner reservation – $500.”
According to the Manor booking guide, the free Chamber Gala should have cost $4,500. The Family Thanksgiving Day Dinner reservation should have been $2,200, plus a 25 percent holiday booking fee ($550), which would have totaled $2,750.
In another email on Jan. 1, 2025, the mayor authorized Layman to adjust the booking fee for another of his (Griffin’s) top political supporters, to $1,000.
“Kindly reach out to her at your earliest convenience and finalize all necessary arrangements. Please let her know this has been completed. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter,” Griffin wrote.
According to the Town ordinance’s pricing guide, the specified fee for that reservation, without a discount, would have been $4,500.
“A gift from the Town,” was written in the margin of a reservation for a Saturday, July 12, 2025, 50th wedding anniversary celebration for former Town Councilman Larry Griffin and his wife. The celebration also included a birthday party for his wife. The 200-guest party included a band, dance floor, cake table, and bar in the lobby. Larry Griffin confirmed to The Voice that he did not pay for the reservation, and that he was told it was a gift from the Town.
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock and Council Members Rich McKenrick, Andrea Fripp, and Erica Page told The Voice they knew nothing about the party for Griffin and his wife.
According to the Manor’s pricing brochure, the July 12 party would have cost in excess of $4,500, which would not include the cost of the additional July 11 reservation for decorating.
Town officials say the mayor is not under investigation by RCSD, and that the Interim administrator has not asked to have him investigated.
The S.C. Ethics Commission is investigating Pugh in regard to the comped reservations.
Related: Council grapples with Manor issues; Coach says she lost thousands in fees after months of paying Manor rental fees; Town official: No records available for BW employee’s birthday party at Manor; Driggers: It’s clear we’ve had events in the Manor that have not been paid for; Are comped events hurting Doko Manor’s bottom line?; Town investigating comping for Doko Manor events
