City Quick Connect Podcast From The Municipal Association Of South Carolina

At the Municipal Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting, Executive Director Todd Glover and Legislative and Public Policy Advocate Joannie Nickel give an update on the 2023-24 legislative session. They discuss primary elections, the 2024 state budget, bills that passed and did not pass, and issues that could arise in the 2025 session.

Association Executive Director Todd Glover talks about the value of visionary leadership, the need to build up future generations of municipal leaders, as well as the successes and the ongoing need for the Association’s civility in local government initiative.

Outgoing Municipal Association President Barbara Jo Blain, mayor of the City of Conway, discusses the legislative advocacy successes of the past year, the ongoing need for hate crimes ordinances, and the need to replace conflict with collaboration at the local level.

Goose Creek Mayor Greg Habib, newly elected president of the Municipal Association of SC, talks about local government leadership, transformational projects in Goose Creek, the need for civility in the public sphere, and the need to develop and nurture managerial talent in municipal government.

As mayor of the host city of Greenville, Mayor Knox White welcomes attendees to the Annual Meeting. White and Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts discuss municipal leadership and projects in their cities.

Municipal Association General Counsel Eric Shytle gives an overview of public meeting executive session issues, including the purpose of executive session under the SC Freedom of Information Act, how to properly enter into and conduct an executive session, and the consequences of misusing executive session.

Casey Fields and Joannie Nickel talk about the outcome of runoff elections as well as General Assembly action on conference reports, including the state budget.

Municipal Association Executive Director Todd Glover and Chief Operating Officer Jake Broom preview the 2024 Annual Meeting, taking place in Greenville July 17 – 21, with sessions focused on artificial intelligence, economic development, mental health resources, placemaking, workforce talent development, civic academies and civility in local government, among others. Learn more: https://www.masc.sc/2024-annual-meeting

Casey Fields and Joannie Nickel discuss the results of the June 11 primary elections, and what those elections will mean for the makeup of the General Assembly during its 2025 – 2026 legislative session.

Casey Fields and Erica Wright discuss the General Assembly’s first return to the State House after the end of the regular session. The preview legislators’ final actions on the state budget, primary elections on June 11 and Wright’s upcoming meetings in Washington, D.C., to meet with federal agencies on grant funding opportunities.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton discuss various bills that did not pass during the regular legislative session, and what may become of the issues in the next session. These include the zero-millage bill, the statewide hate crimes bill — although a growing number of municipalities are passing local hate crimes ordinances — medical cannabis, short-term rental regulation bans, the municipal elections bill, annexation bills and bills on tort liability and liquor liability.

Casey Fields, Scott Slatton and Erica Wright discuss how the language from the military tax increment financing bill came to be amended onto another bill that is still alive in conference committee, and describe the late-session debate on the bill to restructure the state’s health agencies.

Casey Fields, Scott Slatton and Joannie Nickel discuss the state budget ahead of it going to conference committee in June. They also discuss the property tax extension bill and the bill extending the SC Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act tax credit.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton talk about bills that did not pass during the final week of the regular legislative session, such as the bill that would consolidate state health agencies and the municipal elections bill.

Casey Fields discusses the events of the final day of the General Assembly’s regular legislative session, including what bills are enrolled for ratification and what bills will go to conference committee and remain active in June.

Scott Slatton and Casey Fields discuss the legislative action on the municipal election bill, currently amended to set the election date for all cities and towns as either the first Tuesday of April, or the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, of odd years. They also discuss the bill to allow micro-distilleries to sell liquor on Sundays and the bill to extend the tax credits of the SC Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton discuss budget provisos involving short-term rental regulation that the SC Senate had considered, the creation of a liquor liability study committee, as well as legislative action on the Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act tax credit extension and the affordable housing property tax exemption bill.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton talk about the upcoming Senate debate on the Senate Finance Committee version of the state budget, as well as new language being added onto the bill to extend the abandoned buildings revitalization tax credit and the military tax increment financing bill.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton discuss the Senate Finance Committee’s version of the state budget, with provisos relating to property tax changes after the delay of 2020 Census data, State Health Plan insurance premium increases, and the 12-month break-in-service rules for retired police officers returning to work as school resource officers. They also cover the ongoing debate on the SC Ten-Year Energy Transformation Act.

Casey Fields and Scott Slatton discuss the status of the joint and several liability bill, the tort reform bill and liquor liability legislation; as well as testimony on the SC Ten-Year Energy Transformation Act. They also cover a follow-up bill to the recently passed permitless gun carry law.