Municipal Association of South Carolina

In addition to learning more about the municipal legislative agenda, hearing from Dr. Bruce Yandle about the consequences of federal and state fiscal policy decisions, and having the opportunity to visit with legislators, Hometown, SC Legislative Action Day attendees have a full schedule during their visit on February 18 to Columbia.

At the luncheon, Carolyn Coleman with the National League of Cities will offer a federal perspective of what municipal officials can expect from the new administration, in particular the federal stimulus package.

In the afternoon, a panel of municipal leaders from cities and towns of all sizes will discuss the approaches they are taking to meet the challenges posed by the ongoing economic downturn. They will share their stories of how they are finding solutions to ensure residents and businesses continue to survive and thrive.

Also, delegates will have the opportunity to learn what they can do in their hometown to make the most of the "Cities Mean Business" campaign. Local leaders will share their success stories about how they have engaged their grassroots networks to communicate the value of cities.

The Municipal Association will roll out a new program at a session at 5 p.m. that afternoon. The Association has contracted with eCivis to offer South Carolina cities and towns a deep discounted rate on its program to locate local, federal, state and foundation grants. Through this Internet-based program, users enter information about the types of projects they are looking to fund. The program will return a listing of applicable grants with a short explanation of each and detailed information is available about applying for the grants.