Hometown Legislative Action Day - Tuesday, January 21, 2025
The $165 registration fee includes lunch, the reception and all meeting materials. Lunch is a ticketed event. A guest lunch ticket is available for Hometown Legislative Action Day only. Coworkers, city staff and city officials are not considered guests and must register at the full registration fee. The preregistration deadline is January 10. On-site registration will be available for anyone who misses the preregistration deadline.
Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government - Wednesday, January 22, 2025
The $125 fee for Session A, Session B, the Advanced Institute and Advanced Continuing Education includes registration, educational materials and lunch for the registrant only.
See the MEO Institute brochure for more information on this training. Preregistration is required. The deadline is January 10.
Mobile App
Download the Municipal Association of SC app to connect with speakers and other attendees and receive meeting updates. Download the app from either the App Store or Google Play (Search term: Municipal Association of SC).
Hotel Information
The Municipal Association reserved block of rooms at the Hilton Columbia Center and Hampton Inn Downtown Historic District are sold out.
The Municipal Association has reserved a block of rooms at the Hyatt Place, 819 Gervais St. When making reservations, indicate that you will be attending the Municipal Association’s conference to ensure you receive the conference rate ($152 plus tax and includes breakfast). To make reservations, call 1.888.492.8847 (use group code G-MCAA) find hotel information online. Registrants will be directed to the hotel reservation system to make reservations online. Select the orange “Book” button in the top right corner of the webpage. The discounted rate will load automatically. Make reservations by January 6 to guarantee the conference rate.
Parking Information
Guests of the Hilton and Hampton Inn have onsite parking for a fee. Both hotels are within a one-block walking distance to the Convention Center. The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center has a large parking lot adjacent to the building with free parking. If the parking lot is at capacity, a city garage is located across the street on Lincoln and Pendleton streets.
Before the meeting …
- Be sure to get directions to the new event location at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
- Familiarize yourself with municipal legislative issues.
- Invite your legislators to the legislative reception on Tuesday, January 21, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center from 5:30 – 7 p.m.
- Plan to take your legislators to dinner following the reception. Find information about local restaurants online.
Tuesday, January 21
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration
9:00 – 10:45 a.m. Opening General Session
Advocacy Initiatives Panel
Learn from mayors and members of the General Assembly as they discuss priorities of cities and towns and how local and state elected leaders can work together to solve the liquor liability insurance issue.
Legislative Panel
Join members from several General Assembly caucuses to discuss their priorities for the 2025 legislative session and how they impact the 2025-2026 Advocacy Initiatives for cities and towns.
10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. General Session - Legislative Report
12:30 – 1:45 p.m. Lunch
Graduation: Municipal Elected Officials Institute and Advanced Institute*
1:45 – 3:00 p.m. State House Visits
2:00 – 2:45 p.m. General Session
Critical Court Cases Impacting Local Government
Get a rapid-fire update on federal and state court case decisions from 2024 that affect local government.
2:45 – 3:00 p.m. Break
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. General Session
Navigating the Federal Earmark Process
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending, often referred to as Community Project Funding or earmarks, in federal appropriation bills. These dollars are available to municipalities. Participants will gain an understanding of the appropriations process and timing, and gain tips for a successful application. Following the session, Congressional staffers will be available to provide technical input to individual cities and towns regarding their applications.
4:00 – 4:15 p.m. Break
4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Hot Topics
This fast-paced session will provide quick updates and guidance on a variety of issues important to cities and towns.
Mayors’ Forum
All mayors are invited to participate in the Mayors’ Forum, sponsored by the Association of SC Mayors.
5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Taste of South Carolina – Legislative Reception
7:00 p.m. Dinner on your own with your legislators
*Officials who have completed all requirements for the Institute or the Advanced Institute and those who are scheduled to complete the requirements on Wednesday will be recognized.
Session A and Session B - Wednesday, January 22
The Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government is a training program that provides municipal elected officials with a basic understanding of key areas of municipal government.
To graduate from the institute, officials must complete Session A, Session B and five online courses available anytime. These five courses are also held once a year at the five designated councils of governments’ locations. See the MEO Institute brochure for more details.
Before registering, refer to your MEO Institute transcript to determine which session to take. Sessions A and B cannot be taken on the same day. Session A must be taken before enrolling in Session B. Transcripts are available to officials by logging on to www.masc.sc (keyword: MEO) with your personal identification number and password. Municipal clerks have online access to transcripts for all elected officials from their municipality.
On January 22, check in at the Municipal Association’s registration desk at the Convention Center beginning at 8 a.m. to pick up meeting materials. Sessions A and B begin promptly at 9 a.m. Officials must attend the entire day of training (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) to receive credit. Sign-in sheets are kept throughout the day. A continental breakfast and lunch are provided for registrants only. Guests are not permitted to attend the sessions or lunch.
Advanced Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government - Wednesday, January 22
The advanced program provides elected officials who are graduates of the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government an option for continuing education. Graduates can choose to attend one of two courses offered annually on the day after Hometown Legislative Action Day and one of two courses offered each fall. To graduate from the Advanced Institute, officials must complete at least four courses.
Advanced courses will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Attendance for the entire day of training is required to receive credit. Sign-in sheets are kept throughout the day. A continental breakfast and lunch are provided for registrants only. Guests are not permitted to attend the sessions or lunch.
Advanced Courses (Choose one)
- Advanced Advocacy and Intergovernmental Relations
- Advanced Municipal Economic Development
Advanced Continuing Education - Wednesday, January 22
The Advanced Continuing Education track provides the Association’s top level of graduates with a pathway to stay current on the latest issues in local government. These courses focus on current topics and will be available exclusively to Advanced MEO Institute graduates.
The Advanced Continuing Education session is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A continental breakfast and lunch are provided for registrants only. Guests are not permitted to attend the sessions or lunch.
- ACE Agenda
9 a.m. – noon Leadership: Service Excellence
Noon – 1 p.m. Lunch
1 – 4 p.m. Strategies for Effective Code Enforcement
- Presentations to be posted after the meeting