January 2024

COLLABORATION

Join Us for the 2024 Counties Connect

VIDEO: SC Association of Counties President Roy Costner III hopes to see you at this year's Counties Connect: A Legislative Action Day on Wednesday, Feb. 21. See his video message to learn more about Counties Connect as well as the Institute of Government for County Officials classes and the Legislative Receptions, both of which will be Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Learn more

GRANTS

Upcoming Grant Training

Online Workshop for State Infrastructure Grants

The SC Rural Infrastructure Authority (SC RIA) will host an online applications workshop Jan. 18, covering the basics of its three state grant programs:

• Basic Infrastructure 
• Economic Infrastructure 
• Infrastructure Planning 

Learn more

Grant Management Training

Central Midlands Council of Governments and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grant management workshop in Columbia on Feb. 1-2. This class will teach you how to administer government grants and stay in compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

Tuition is $595; however South Carolina Association of Counties members and their staff will receive a $30 discount with the code "ASSN" at the time of registration. 

Complete event details including learning objectives, class location, graduate testimonials and online registration are available on Grant Writing USA's website.

ETHICS

Statements of Economic Interests Due Soon

Did you know that Statements of Economic Interests are due by March 30th? 

If you are a member of county council, or serving as your county’s chief financial officer or chief administrative official (county administrator, county supervisor, or some other title), you are required to file a Statement of Economic Interests. 

Need help filing your Statement of Economic Interest? Contact the State Ethics Commission at 803-253-4192.

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT

Spartanburg County Kicks Off New Year with New Courthouse

The legal community in Spartanburg County will soon roam the halls of a brand-new courthouse. The new Spartanburg County Courthouse is set to open to the public Jan. 22 after years of planning and construction.

“With all the growth we’re experiencing in Spartanburg County, we’re going to need additional space to accommodate our growing judicial needs. The problems we’ve faced with the current courthouse simply could not be fixed with the existing facility,” said Spartanburg County Communications Manager Scottie Kay Blackwell.

Read more about the new building and the plans for the old courthouse.

NEWS

Next Generation SC.GOV: A Customized Experience for South Carolina Citizens

A new way of doing business with South Carolina government is dawning. The next generation of SC.GOV is designed to connect citizens to needed South Carolina government entities.

The South Carolina Department of Administration is ready to help get your county's services set up so your customers can begin realizing all the conveniences that come with the new and improved government experience.

Learn more about the new SC.GOV.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

SCAC Offers Five $5000 Scholarships in 2024

Georgetown County Emergency Services Director Brandon Ellis, center, accepts the Agency of the Year award, presented by retired County Emergency Manager Sam Hodge, left, and SCEMA President Kristy Burch.

2024 Presidential and Board of Directors Scholarship applications are due on Feb. 1. High School seniors from Clarendon, Laurens, Kershaw, Marion and Pickens counties are eligible to apply for a $5,000 Scholarship, which will be awarded to one student from each of the counties listed. Scholarship winners must attend a South Carolina college or university to receive the award.

Visit SCAC's Scholarship Program webpage for more information and to apply.

LEARNING

New Courses Offered through SCAC's Online Learning Portal

In December we added two new courses to our online learning portal. 

• Institute of Government for County Officials class recording: Managing and Conducting Meetings, a Level I Elective. This course can also be taken for 3-hour continuing education credit for planning and zoning officials.

• Planning and zoning webinar: Affordable Housing, Public Meetings and Other Trends in Planning and Zoning. This course can be taken for 3-hour continuing education credit for planning and zoning officials.

EVENTS

2024 SC Rural Summit

SC Department of Commerce's 2024 SC Rural Summit provides community leaders, economic developers, and state officials the opportunity to come together and learn about innovative methods to improve rural South Carolina.

Registration includes social events, meals, and programming for ONE attendee. Spouses or Significant Others are not included in the registration cost for the Rural Summit, but can be added on.

Early Bird Registration is $250 and ends Jan. 31, 2024. After that registration is $350.

Visit the event page for more information and to register now.

MatchBoard Training Sessions Available

Boards and commissions aren’t just a requirement for counties; they’re a vital way to get community input and boost constituents' participation in local government.

SC Women in Leadership is hosting MatchBoard training sessions next month to help better manage county boards and commissions. MatchBoard is a low-cost digital tool for managing your boards and commissions, making it easier than ever for citizens to apply and for staff to manage records.

See why 13 counties and cities in S.C. have already adopted MatchBoard at the live demos on February 15th and 22nd. Register for a demo at https://bit.ly/3W4CAKc.

RESOURCES

2023 South Carolina Property Tax Rates by County Now Available

2023 Property Tax Rates by County is now available online. Hard copies of the report will hit mailboxes soon. For the previous editions, please visit the Property Tax Rates page.

SCAC ON SOCIAL

🏛️ The 2024 legislative session began this week. The House began meeting in budget subcommittees to hear from various state agencies and groups, including SCAC, on budget requests for FY 2024-25. Check out this week’s Friday Report. 🔗 https://conta.cc/3HhJTJi

🎉Congratulations to SCAC staff attorney Leslie Simpson for earning the 2024 Silver Compleat Lawyer Award from the USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law. 👏Great work, Leslie! Thank you for all you do to elevate your profession and the work of county government.

The SC General Assembly is back in session today & we’re ready. Our official Policy Positions document covers issues we’ll advocate for this year. More on our focus areas + how you can stay in the loop throughout the session.🔗

https://ow.ly/uwLF50Qp1mz

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