The Municipal Association’s Hometown Legislative Action Day brought together municipal officials from across the state on February 1 in Columbia, and shone a spotlight on the importance of civility in local government as well as the value of municipalities maintaining relationships with their legislators at the State House.
Here’s a look at some of the sessions that happened during HLAD, and the presentation resources to come out of them:
Civility and ethics
As part of the Association’s ongoing initiative promoting civility, Dr. William McCoy, director of Clemson University’s Rutland Institute for Ethics, provided the keynote address, exploring what he described as “unlocking the box of civility with the keys of ethics.”
In the address, a recording of which is available, McCoy traced the role of combative assertiveness through the United States’ history, but noted that the current sense that civility in public discourse is breaking down can be connected to shifting cultural attitudes and technological changes, such as social media, which gives people opportunities to express themselves forcefully without thinking of the relationship damages that can result. He discussed ways that leaders can focus on their personal sense of balance and peace in order to be role models of civility for their community.
McCoy’s presentation opened with an example of a cell phone video showing a person experiencing a public meltdown, in this case, a man being asked to leave a retail store and responding by screaming profanities inches from the face of the woman asking him to leave.
McCoy noted that “she never yelled back, she held her peace, and she says the exact same thing [repeatedly,] ‘Have a nice day. Have a nice day. Have a nice day.’ She stood her ground. It takes inner peace to be able to do that.”
Legislative sessions
Each year, advocacy lies at the heart of the Hometown Legislative Action Day, and this year’s agenda featured numerous panel discussions on current legislative issues.
In a panel discussion featuring Senate President Thomas Alexander (R-Oconee) and House of Representatives Majority Leader David Hiott (R-Pickens), the two discussed issues being debated in the 2023 legislative session, including items that are part of the Municipal Association’s current Advocacy Initiatives, such as increasing penalties for trafficking fentanyl and banning “squat trucks.”
Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy offered the report of the Municipal Association’s legislative committee, after which the Association’s advocacy team — Scott Slatton, Casey Fields, Joannie Nickel and Erica Wright— talked through numerous key issues likely to receive debate at the State House.
Updates from the Municipal Association
In his remarks as the president of the Municipal Association, Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon took a look at recent legislative successes, such as Act 84 of 2019, requiring the Local Government Fund to increase as the state’s general fund increases, and Act 176 of 2020, streamlining business licensing tax processes, as well as what’s happening in the 2023 session.
”Through everything, we have worked hard and we have worked together,” Osbon said. “As an organization of cities and towns, we can’t stand on the sidelines. We must fight for our residents. Fight for our local decision-making and fight for our success.”
In his remarks, Todd Glover, executive director of the Municipal Association of SC, highlighted several of the Association’s current efforts, including new branding for the Association and a new website designed to improve the ability to find and use the Association’s resources. Glover also announced the first-ever Small Cities Summit to take place ahead of the Annual Meeting in July, which will serve as a time to discuss the issues facing South Carolina’s smallest municipalities.