Brock, Fripp Take Council Seats BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood voters elected a new mayor and two council members Monday night in a hotly contested election. Voters also defeated (454 – 323) a referendum on the ballot that called for voting districts. Current Town Councilman Sloan Griffin bested current Mayor Bryan Franklin for mayor by a large […]
Blythewood Town Council may raise FY 2024 legal budget to $500,000
September 14, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – With no discussion, council passed first reading of a budget amendment Monday night that increases the budgeted amount for the Town’s outside legal expenses from $200,000 to $500,000 for the current fiscal year 2023-24. According to budget information on the Town’s website, it spent approximately $152,500 on outside legal expenses in FY 2021-22 […]
Two file for mayor, four file for council seats
September 7, 2023 By
This is a revision of the candidate filings that appeared in The Voice’s Sept. 7 edition. BLYTHEWOOD – Six Blythewoodians had filed for political seats in Blythewood government when the filing closed at noon on Sept. 5. Two of the candidates live in Ashley Oaks, one in Oak Hurst, one in Holly Bluff, one in […]
Black gives partial legal update
August 31, 2023 By
Judge Allows MPA to Depose Burnett and Franklin BLYTHEWOOD – During Monday night’s town council meeting, the Town’s outside attorney David Black, with Maynard Nexsen law firm, came before council to give an update on a motions hearing that occurred on Aug 9, concerning the 2-1/2 year legal wrangling between the Town and MPA Strategies. […]
Town of Blythewood not transparent with legal fees
June 29, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Some Blythewood council members and an attorney don’t think town residents should know how much of their money is being spent on costly legal bills. On Monday night, council members voted 4-1 on second reading of the $5.06 million annual budget. Councilman Donald Brock dissented. Brock and Councilman Sloan Griffin voiced concerns about […]
Blythewood refuses to reveal MPA lawsuit costs
June 15, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – With a growing number of lawsuits flying between the Town of Blythewood, Mayor Bryan Franklin and MPA strategies, the cost for those lawsuits is also most likely growing exponentially, but no one – not even the councilmen, so they say – knows what those costs are, because the Town and Mayor Franklin refuse […]
Chronicle editor, others answer MPA lawsuit
June 8, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – The editor of the County Chronicle named in a conspiracy lawsuit along with the Town of Blythewood and its mayor is asking a judge to throw the case against her out. The Country Chronicle was previously owned by Camden Media, a partnership owned by Charles H. Morris of Savannah, Ga., and Mike Mischner […]
Town of Blythewood’s largest budget increase tied to employee compensation
June 1, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Cost of living increases, hiring more staff, and significant improvements to Doko Meadows Park highlight the Town of Blythewood’s draft 2023-2024 budget. Blythewood Town Council voted unanimously on May 22 to pass first reading of the annual budget. The town’s 2023-2024 budget includes $5.6 million in projected revenues against $5.06 million in spending, […]
Blythewood council eyeing single-member districts
June 1, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council voted on May 22 to approve first reading of an ordinance calling for a referendum for Blythewood voters to decide whether Town Council should change from at-large voting districts to single-member districts. Currently, Town Council is composed of four council members and a Mayor, all elected at-large. The town would […]
Blythewood council pushes back against attendance law
May 18, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – At the Blythewood Town Council’s budget workshop Friday morning, council members discussed for the second time an attendance policy for council members. During the initial discussion on March 27, Councilman Rich McKenrick and Mayor Bryan Franklin called out Councilman Sloan Griffin for allegedly not communicating about his two absences during his deployment to […]
