BLYTHEWOOD – After increasing fees for the use of the Doko Park athletic fields earlier this year, council is now in mid-discussion of plans to redesign and upgrade the current fields, possibly adding artificial turf, and designing new fields on property the town recently purchased across McLean Road from the park. “The purpose of this […]
Should Blythewood be divided into council districts?
November 17, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Mayor Bryan Franklin suggested at the Monday night joint town council/planning commission meeting that the town’s residents might want to consider dividing the town into council districts as opposed to all the council members serving at-large as they do now. Franklin said he had not provided the district information to his fellow […]
H- & A- tax committee hosts Town Hall
November 17, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Groups that rely on Blythewood tourism dollars to survive are pushing back on the town’s desire to take a larger portion for itself. Town leaders, however, say more revenue is needed to fund capital projects like ball fields, recreation venues and tourism-generated projects given the town’s no-millage status. There appeared to be little […]
Blythewood Town Council nixes term limit ordinance
October 27, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – With three votes for and two abstentions, council voted Monday night to repeal an ordinance passed in 2014 that established term limits of two consecutive four-year terms on town council members and the mayor. Voting to repeal the ordinance were Councilman Eddie Baugman who has one more year to serve on his second […]
Council, public undaunted by civility pledge
August 25, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council adopted a resolution Monday night as suggested by the S.C. Municipal Association for all city governments across the state, pledging to “practice and promote civility.” Shortly thereafter, things turned decidedly uncivil, as has frequently been the case in Blythewood Town Council meetings since the mayor began openly targeting The Voice […]
Council questions Chamber’s and Rodeo’s event financials
July 28, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council rejected a pair of belated funding requests from two special event promoters. Organizers of the Doko Rodeo and Doko Rib Fest Cook-off had received 80 percent funding upfront for their respective events, but their applications to receive the final 20 percent of their town event funding failed in a pair […]
Blythewood Council votes 4-1 against rezoning U-Haul property
June 30, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – After a Facebook campaign by some town leaders encouraging community members to speak out about the rezoning of an 18-acre property on Community Road, Town Council voted 4-1 against the rezoning request with Councilman Donald Brock voting for. U-Haul requested the rezoning of the property located in the 800 block of Community Road […]
TC passes first budget reading; authorizes property purchase
May 26, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – After considerable sparring over some of the ways the Town spends its money, Town Council unanimously passed first reading of its FY 2022 – 2023 budget Monday night. With one-time revenues from American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding ($1,812,854) and a $250,000 earmark grant from the state government plus an almost 100 percent increase […]
Council authorizes Franklin to sue The Voice and others
May 12, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Town Council voted 4-1 Thursday, May 5, to authorize Mayor Bryan Franklin, Town Administrator Carroll Williamson, and the Town’s outside attorneys David Black and Shannon Burnett to take legal action against The Voice and its publisher. While the Town has already sued MPA Strategies owner Ashley Hunter and threatened to sue Councilman […]
In searing public speech, BW mayor confuses conspiracy with routine journalism
May 5, 2022 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Mayor Bryan Franklin delivered his most chilling verbal attack to date on The Voice’s publisher and Councilman Donald Brock at the end of a joint town council/planning commission meeting Monday night. The subject matter was rambling, with multiple undocumented claims. Explaining that his speech was in response to The Voice’s editorial in the […]
