BLYTHEWOOD – The South Carolina Attorney General’s office issued an opinion on Aug. 11, stating that neither the mayor nor any member of a town council can exercise the authority of council without the council’s approval.
It is the second adverse opinion handed down in the last two years by the Attorney General’s office regarding Blythewood Mayor Sloan Griffin’s actions in his capacity as mayor.
The Aug. 11 opinion referred to a letter from the Blythewood town attorney questioning the mayor’s authority, under the council/manager form of government, to issue proclamations and bestow a ‘Community Champion Award’ on behalf of the Town, without the approval of town council.
The issue came up at the June town council meeting after council voted to go into executive session to discuss “receipt of legal advice regarding an internal governance matter involving elected officials and discussion of legal and procedural options available to town council.”
After coming out of executive session, Councilman Donald Brock moved to, among other things, “direct the town attorney to seek an Attorney General’s opinion as to whether proclamations or awards are a function of the mayor under the council-manager form of government and provide an example to the attorney general as discussed in executive session.”
Council voted 4-0 to approve the motion. Griffin did not re-enter public session for the vote.
In his letter to the Attorney General, the town’s attorney stated that “it has come to the Town’s attention that the mayor has issued one or more proclamations in his capacity as mayor of the Town.”
The letter went on to describe how Griffin, on or about May 27, 2026, issued a ‘special proclamation’ to a deserving citizen on behalf of himself and ‘members of Blythewood Town Council.’
“The four other members of Town Council did not have any knowledge this proclamation was being issued,” the town attorney wrote. “Also, in May, 2026, the mayor issued a ‘Community Champion’ award to a deserving citizen. The award states it is sponsored by Blythewood Economic Development and Tourism. The Town has not established such a department.”
Griffin posted photos and videos of these and other presentations on his personal Facebook page. One video showed Griffin walking into the Waffle House in Blythewood, then presenting awards to two Waffle House employees as diners looked on.
“In short,” wrote Assistant Attorney General David Leggett, “the mayor or any member of the town council may not independently exercise the authority of council absent specific delegation.”
Leggett further wrote that the court would likely conclude that issuing proclamations, bestowing awards, and speaking on behalf of town council all constitute adopting positions or policies of approval on behalf of the Town.
“As a result,” Leggett wrote, “a court would likely conclude these should all be conducted by resolution approved by the entire town council, not through the actions of a single member.”
Leggett suggested that the Town could, if council members so desired, adopt a policy outlining a procedure for applying for and granting various forms of recognition, and that such procedures could delegate some of the decision-making authority to the mayor.
“However, in the absence of such delegation, we believe the mayor should not undertake these actions without the consent of town council,” Leggett wrote.
He further suggested that the mayor’s action to give an award that is sponsored by a department not authorized by town council is likely in violation of state law.
“Declaring that an award is sponsored by a department, such as ‘Blythewood Economic Development and Tourism,’ which has not been established by the town council likely violates Section 5-1-30(2) which gives town council the authority to “[establish other administrative departments and assign and distribute the work thereof,”] Legget wrote.
“The Attorney General’s opinion only reaffirms what council already knew,” Brock told The Voice following receipt of the opinion. “The mayor is simply one member of council and has no authority beyond that position. It further reaffirms that the rules and laws apply to everyone equally; no one on council is granted additional powers or responsibilities.
“As for enforcement, that’s something the mayor will simply need to do himself,” Brock added. “If he respects the Attorney General and the rule of law, then he will govern himself accordingly.”
The following is Mayor Sloan Griffin’s response to the Attorney General’s opinion:
“I appreciate the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office providing its August 11, 2026 response concerning the authority of individual elected officials under Blythewood’s council-manager form of government.
However, I believe an important factual distinction regarding Blythewood Economic Development and Tourism (BED&T) needs to be made clear for the public record.
BED&T is an independently established nonprofit organization. It is not a department of the Town of Blythewood, and I have never represented it as a Town department.
The Town Attorney’s June 24 request to the Attorney General stated that a Mayor’s Community Champion award was sponsored by Blythewood Economic Development and Tourism and then stated that “the Town has not established such a department.” That distinction is important because the fact that the Town has not established a municipal department by that name does not mean that an independently established organization bearing that name does not exist.
The Attorney General was asked whether the Mayor could unilaterally issue proclamations or awards with the apparent authority of the Town. That legal question should not be confused with the separate question of whether BED&T exists as an independent organization.
There is also a broader issue that I believe the residents of Blythewood deserve to consider.
During the debate surrounding the referendum and the change to the council-manager form of government, Councilman Donald Brock Jr. publicly characterized me as being the person best suited to, in his words, “kiss babies and shake hands.”
Yet even when I carry out that very public-facing role, showing up in the community, supporting residents, celebrating accomplishments, and recognizing deserving individuals and businesses, that too has become the subject of criticism and legal questions.
That should concern our residents.
The Mayor’s Community Champion program was never about exercising control over Town government. It was about shining a light on people who serve this community and too often receive little recognition for what they do.
If the Mayor is expected to be the person who shows up in the community, shakes hands, encourages people, celebrates accomplishments, and represents Blythewood, then recognizing deserving residents is entirely consistent with that public-facing responsibility.
The people of Blythewood should look carefully at what has occurred since the change in our form of government and determine for themselves whether this represents what they were told they were voting for.
From restrictions involving the Mayor’s office and access to Town resources to questions over something as simple as recognizing citizens, the public has every right to ask whether these actions are about improving government or progressively restricting the independently elected office of Mayor.
I will continue to show up. I will continue to speak up. And I will continue to recognize the people who make Blythewood special.
Our residents, visitors, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and business owners represent the brighter side of our community. They deserve to be celebrated, not caught in the middle of political disagreements at Town Hall.
I respect the Attorney General’s response and believe the Town should establish a clear and lawful policy governing official Town proclamations and awards. At the same time, I will not allow disagreement over governmental authority to discourage me from personally acknowledging and celebrating people who deserve recognition.
If Councilman Brock or any other member of Council believes that my lawful ability as the elected Mayor to recognize citizens must ultimately be resolved by a court, I am prepared to have that question resolved through the appropriate legal process.
I will not be intimidated out of serving the people who elected me.
BED&T is not the Town of Blythewood, and the Town of Blythewood is not BED&T.
And recognizing a teacher, student, senior citizen, volunteer, first responder, community servant, or local business owner should never become something that divides our Town.
There are enough difficult issues facing government today. Celebrating good people doing good things in Blythewood should not be one of them.
Sloan J. Griffin III
Mayor
Town of Blythewood, South Carolina