BLYTHEWOOD – Since it opened in 2015, the Manor’s bottom line has suffered s from mismanagement in one form or another.
For years Richland School District 2 was allowed to use the Manor at no charge and did so frequently. The Blythewood Chamber has a history of receiving free and reduce rates for their events, breakfasts and galas. Town and county governments were also provided free use of the Manor for meetings.
Council has made strides in making the Manor pay its way, but youth sports organizations, civic clubs and some businesses that made reservation deals years ago with the Manor, still receive reduced fees, mostly for limited, little-used time slots.
There are, however, still some comps for large fees. Of the approximately 500 manor reservations that were made from early January, 2024 through the end of September, 2025, one Blythewood business reserved the Manor five times. According to a fee schedule adopted by council two years ago, those five reservations should have brought in approximately $11,000 in revenue for the Town. Instead, the business paid nothing according to documents The Voice obtained through an FOI (Freedom of Information) request. There are no notations in the documents as to why this business’ reservations were comped or who authorized the comps.
The Manor’s total net loss jumped to $175,375.56 in fiscal year 2024 – 25.
A New Pattern of 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 mid-2024. That pattern shows reservations for the Manor, the amphitheater, and other park venues being increasingly ‘rented’ for free or at greatly reduced fees to friends and political supporters of Mayor Sloan Griffin, with some clearly authorized by him.
On Jan. 17, 2025, Griffin sent the following email to Manor Director Fred Layman asking him to reduce the rates for one of his [Griffin’s] supporters:
“Mr. Layman, I am authorizing a fee adjustment for Ms. VonGretchen, effective Feb. 15, 2025, to $1,000. Kindly reach out to her at your earliest convenience and finalize all necessary arrangements. Please let me know when this is completed. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.”
Griffin sent Layman another email in November, 2024, “officially authorizing two price changes: Blythewood Chamber of Commerce Christmas Gala – No Charge; Straiter Family Thanksgivings Day Dinner – $500.”
The total lost revenue to the Town for Griffin’s three authorized comps is $8,300.
From mid-2024 to the end of September, 2025, approximately $43,000 in lost revenue from 15 free and reduced-fee Manor reservations are linked to Griffin through emails authorizing the comps and reductions as well as through notations in the Manor’s reservation schedules indicating his authorization.
The Director of the Manor is the only person authorized by council ordinance to approve discounts.
“The Manor director is required to enforce the adopted fees, but has the authority to negotiate fees within 60 days of the event,” the fee ordinance states in Sec.93,01.
Even though the mayor is not authorized to comp or reduce Manor reservation fees, according to the current strong mayor form of government, he does have authority over all employees and departments, including the Manor. The new Council-Manager form of government doesn’t take effect until Nov. 24.
Richland County Councilman Derrek Pugh and his wife reserved the Manor for two parties for family members earlier this year at no charge. Pugh is a close friend and supporter of Griffin’s. According to rates approved by Blythewood Town Council, the Pughs should have paid a total of $7,300 for the two reservations. They obtained the reservations for no charge, according to records provided to The Voice by town officials.
After The Voice published a story about the Pugh comps, Griffin said he met with Pugh and agreed that Pugh would pay $1,000 of the total $7,300 fee for the party reservations. Layman told The Voice that he was in that meeting. The issue is being investigated by the SC Ethics Commission.
On July 11-12, Griffin, without authorization, gifted a $4,500 wedding anniversary party reservation to his friend and former Town Councilman Larry Griffin, A notation in the reservation schedule stated: “A gift from the Town.” Larry Griffin told The Voice that the party was gifted to him by the Town. Council members told The Voice they had not been told about the party and had not authorized or funded such a ‘gift.’
On July 7, 2024, Griffin’s executive assistant and clerk to Blythewood Town Council, Sharon Durst, was given a birthday party at the Manor that, according to the Manor’s fee ordinance, would have cost $2,800. Records indicate that the $2,800 was never paid. There was no listing in the reservation records that the birthday party had occurred. Instead, there was a notation that an HOA meeting was held. Other documents noted that the reservation was for a Cedar Creek HOA held at the Manor on July 7, 2024. HOA’s are not charged to hold their annual meetings at the Manor, but Cedar Creek community leaders said there is no Cedar Creek HOA.
Durst told the Voice she doesn’t know who was in charge of paying for her July 7 party, that it was a surprise party.
Edward Straiter, another Griffin supporter and a member of the ad hoc committee formed to analyze and propose uses for the McLean property the Town bought two years ago, was allowed a significant discount to use the Manor for a family Thanksgiving dinner. The Manor fee schedule lists the fee for the use of the Manor on that Thanksgiving Day as $2,200. That fee was reduced by Griffin to $500. Straiter told The Voice that the reduction was in appreciation of all that he has done for the Town.
“I donated $3,000 in raffle gifts at each of the Town’s Christmas parties at The Farm.” Straighter said.
In addition to other free and reduced rate Manor reservations linked to Griffin, he offered the Manor for a memorial service for one of his staunchest supporters, who passed away, according to the person who organized the memorial service. The Manor rate schedule listed the reservation fee for the memorial as $4,500. There was no charge, according to the reservation fee document. “As per mayor,” was noted in the reservation
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock says there’s not a lot council or the administrator can do under the current form of government, which gives the mayor supervision over all departments and the everyday activities of town hall.
“Based on documentation I’ve seen, it does appear that the mayor has overstepped his authority by waiving and reducing manor/amphitheater fees,” said Brock. “This is quite troubling as the manor/amphitheater continues to operate in a deficit. It seems obvious that it doesn’t matter what council or the administrator does; this mayor can continue to operate as he sees fit. That being said, there are remedies that council has discussed and may seek to implement in the future.”
