BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council passed a temporary vending ordinance last week that opens the door for vendors to set up shop in the Town Center District (TCD). The ordinance, which took more than a year to pass, is a City of Columbia ordinance knockoff that basically allows street vendors to begin operating in the town […]
Town hires CPA to right its financials
July 5, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council passed final reading last week on the Town’s 2018-19 budget set at $1,565,114. Town administrator Brian Cook said there were only a few changes in the budget since the first reading in May. Of note, however, is a transfer of $25,000 from the contingency fund into accounting services. “That accounts partly […]
Blythewood Town Council increases Chamber funding
June 28, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD – After months of threatening to withhold funds from the chamber of commerce and visitor center until the chamber’s executive director Mike Switzer produced the two organizations’ complete financials by June 12, council did just the opposite on Monday night. After being presented financials that one former council member described as little more than […]
Bond refinancing savings changes
June 14, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD – After voting on April 5 to refinance the 2010 $5 million Blythewood Facilities Corporation (BFC) bonds, Council closed on the refinancing with BB&T bank on June 5. Emily Luther, an attorney with Parker Poe of Columbia who handled the initial 2010 bond issuance, updated Town Council on the refinancing at its May 26 […]
Switzer to hand over financials
June 14, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council again addressed the growing issue of the Blythewood Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center financials at the May 26 Town Council meeting. And, again, Council asked Mike Switzer, Executive Director of both the Chamber and Visitor Center, to produce the complete financial records for both organizations. The Town and The Voice […]
Council grills chamber director
May 31, 2018 By
Switzer has until June 12 to submit financial reports BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council’s second workshop for the 2018/19 budget, held Thursday, May 24, quickly jumped the rails from a budget discussion to an intense interrogation of the Greater Blythewood Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Switzer about chamber and visitor center financial inconsistencies reported earlier […]
BW Town Council passes first reading on budget
May 31, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Town Council passed first reading of its 2018-19 budget Tuesday evening. The proposed $1,565,632 budget reflects $202,111 in building permits and fees, an increase of $17,111 over last year. Council also sees business licenses inside the town increasing from $94,871 to $113,351 and business licenses outside the town increasing from $80,188 to $92,491. […]
Council considering $56K for Chamber, Visitor’s Center
May 24, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD- Asking for more accommodation tax and general fund money has become a common theme for the Greater Blythewood Chamber of Commerce, and Council continues to up the numbers every year. In 2017, Chamber Executive Director Mike Switzer sought additional funds of nearly $71,000 before scaling that number back amid town council protest. Of the […]
Chamber financials reflect inconsistencies
May 24, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Whenever the Greater Blythewood Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Switzer requests additional funding for the chamber, council members generally have been willing to cough up more money. As Blythewood council members plan to discuss increasing the total annual funding to the Chamber by more than $15,000 to $57,500, during a budget workshop […]
Switzer requests $7,643 for Visitors
May 10, 2018 By
BLYTHEWOOD – After receiving $18,500 earlier this year to operate the town’s Visitor Center, the Greater Blythewood Chamber of Commerce says it needs nearly $7,700 more. In April, the chamber asked the Town of Blythewood for $7,643 in additional funding to cover expenses associated with the Visitor Center which opened a year ago. Blythewood Town […]
