Are Silfab Solar in Fort Mill, local government, and the attorneys clogging the legal system with numerous motions, appeals, and lawsuits filed in various SC court jurisdictions? On Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:00 AM, the attorney for the Citizens Alliance for Government Integrity (CAGI) was notified that a recent “Motion to Reconsider” the two-year stay imposed on the CAGI lawsuit in Fall of 2024 had been granted a hearing date for Nov.12, 2026 (soon amended to Dec. 14, 2026) by Judge William A. McKinnon.
Shortly after 3:00 PM, Silfab Solar and York County each filed motions for Declaratory Judgment (DJ). Each DJ asks the court to decide whether the two recent rulings by Judge McKinnon in July and August, which upheld the BZA’s decision that solar cell manufacturing was prohibited in a Light Industrial zone, apply to Silfab. In the legal world, their attorneys hope the judge will provide an opinion nugget they can use to allow Silfab to operate. In reality, the County and Silfab must address relocating the facility.
The Legal Maneuvers
Is Silfab Solar’s Declaratory Judgment essentially seeking pity or forgiveness from the court because it chose to proceed with construction of its proposed facility even though it was fully aware of the BZA ruling and appealed and lost? This claim rests on expenses and dubious assumptions that the documents referred to in their motion, and provided to them, gave them the necessary approvals to proceed.
In York County’s request for DJ, their motion asks whether the county has discretion over enforcing Judge McKinnon’s previous rulings. In essence, York County (Council) is requesting Judge McKinnon to say, “that decision is up to your discretion”, in which case York County may very well choose not to enforce it. In any event, failing to enforce Judge McKinnon’s ruling equates to granting Silfab Solar a zoning change, which neither the court nor the county has the authority to do outside the established legislative process.
York County’s filing of a Declaratory Judgment is unnecessary and irrelevant if its intent was to uphold the law and address the facility’s relocation. Instead, are they seeking a loophole?
Quoting a York County citizen’s statement in his Oct. 19, 2026, Public Forum speech before the York County Council: “The courthouse is not a private conference room for government and corporations.” So who benefits from the latest round of lawsuits?
The information above does not propose any illegitimate or irregular activities by either law firm.