County Leaders Look to the Future During Legislative Conference
From hurricane recovery to an inside look at one of the most modern county government facilities in the region, SCAC’s 2024 Legislative Conference focused on the future.
“South Carolina continues to be a winner across the country in terms of economic development,” Rep. Bruce Bannister of Greenville, who serves as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, told attendees during a panel at the event on Dec. 6. “That’s an incredible testament to the leadership of counties.”
Bannister and Sen. Jason Elliott of Greenville shared insights on key issues expected for the 2025 legislative session. They include managing growth in our state, energy, workforce housing, affordable childcare, liquor liability laws, and ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene.
2025 legislative session during SCAC's Legislative Conference in Greenville.
SCAC members also got the latest updates from state agency leaders on recovery, repairs and rebuilding from South Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Justin Powell, South Carolina Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson and Chief Resilience Officer Ben Duncan of the South Carolina Office of Resilience.
“The key lesson we came away with was be prepared for contingences,” Powell said of the storm, which heavily impacted the Upstate and presented challenges with widespread power outages. “It required rethinking how we do some things.”
Stenson shared that continuing to build strong working relationships between local officials and county emergency managers will assist in the recovery process and help prepare for the next storm.
Duncan offered insights on short-term and long-term recovery plans including housing repair and rebuilding, which will continue into 2025.
The two-day conference kicked off with a mobile workshop at the state-of-the-art Greenville County Administration Building, which opened in summer 2023. County officials from throughout the state got an inside look at the facility with open collaborative spaces for staff and user-friendly access points for the public. The site—a mix of government services and private businesses—focuses a future that will include retail development and connectivity to downtown and to the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
of the new County Administration Building. He helped lead a tour for SCAC members
through the building on Dec. 5, 2024 as part of the Legislative Conference in Greenville.
“Our objectives were to have better working spaces for our employees, create benefits for taxpayers and expand downtown,” County Administrator Joe Kernell said.
Kernell and Council Member Butch Kirven, who served as chairman for 12 years during the time the building and development were being considered and underway, led the group through the site.
To close out the conference, the Legislative Committee adopted SCAC’s policy positions for 2025. The official policy positions document will be available soon.
See presentations from the conference.
Check out photos from the Greenville County Administration Building tour and other conference events.