BLYTHEWOOD — Public records reveal that a ‘missing’ $20,000 check drawn on the Town’s hospitality tax fund was jointly signed by former Interim Town Administrator Ed Driggers and Mayor Sloan Griffin in contradiction of Driggers’ statement that he “was not involved in this at all.”
When The Voice filed an FOI request for documents concerning the $20,000 check, The Town charged the newspaper $500 to receive a response, essentially impeding the newspaper from moving forward with the request. Now Balthazor wants council to adopt that same fee standard and more for all the Town’s FOI requests during the Monday, July 27 council meeting.
A review by The Voice found several provisions in Balthazor’s proposed FOI policy that differ from language contained in South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act, including Balthazor’s addition of attorney and outside vendor fees, eliminating fee waivers, and adding requirements for requesters to sign formal promises and agreements before records are released…