April 2026

NATIONAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT MONTH

National County Government Month Spotlights Strength of Local Voices

Clockwise from left: a man in business attire speaks at a podium; coroners and two senators pose in a Senate chamber; two men and a woman in business attire stand against a green wall; and a woman speaks in a committee meeting.

April is National County Government Month, and we're taking the opportunity to highlight county leaders and staff who do daily work to advocate, collaborate and educate others about the importance of county government.

County leaders have been at the State House this legislative session to speak with state representatives about the needs of their local communities. SCAC's advocacy team is right there with them, helping to connect local leaders with their state delegation on issues ranging from growth and infrastructure to public safety.

COUNTY SPOTLIGHTS

Fairfield County Veterans Expo Connects Service Members to Vital Resources

Vendor booths fill the Boykin Recreation Center in Fairfield County for the Fifth Annual Veterans Expo.

Veterans visit vendor and exhibitor booths during the Fifth Annual Veterans Expo in Fairfield County.

Fairfield County recently hosted its Fifth Annual Veterans Expo, drawing nearly 200 service members from the community. The event features around 30 vendors and exhibitors and provides an opportunity for local veterans to network with each other and connect with vital services.

"The response from veterans has been overwhelming," said Fairfield County Veterans Affairs Director Albertha Woodard. "Not only can they find out more information about the benefits and resources available to them but they find appreciation ... Sometimes the veteran community feels left out. When doing events like these, it's more than finding out information. It's about the fellowship. Sharing stories and experiences with others that have served is a great way to honor these amazing people. We are excited anytime we get a chance to recognize our Fairfield County veterans."

South Carolina is home to more than 386,000 military veterans, making up nearly 7% of the state's total population.

Keep an eye out for the spring issue of County Focus magazine to learn more about how county Veterans Affairs Offices are engaging veterans in their communities.

Marlboro County Gets "Clean and Green" Thanks to Community Efforts

First Sgt. Wayne Chapman of Marlboro County High School JROTC, Bennettsville Mayor Tyrone Abraham, Marlboro County Council Vice Chairwoman Pearly Lawson and Chairman Damien Johnson take part in the county's clean sweep event as part of Palmetto Pride.

Marlboro County elected leaders recently joined forces with city and county employees and school and community groups to make the county “clean and green” the week of March 22.

Public Services Chief Chad Cheras and Litter Control Officer Dougie Hinson estimated the cleanup yielded approximately four tons of trash, including 500 bags of litter, more than 30 car tires, several bed mattresses, dozens of store shopping carts, rolls of used carpet, and a variety of household furniture and appliances.

This initiative paved the way to install deer cameras in various littering and dumping sites within several municipalities and in the county. Part of the PalmettoPride SC Sweep, the initiative falls within Marlboro County’s strategic goal to keep the county beautiful. Similar events will be planned throughout the year.

EDUCATION

Institute of Government Offers New Advanced Level Certification

SCAC is launching an Advanced Level Certification within the Institute of Government for County Officials, debuting at the 2026 Annual Conference. Designed for experienced leaders who have completed Levels I and II, the program delivers advanced coursework to strengthen leadership skills and navigate complex county challenges.

All county officials are welcome to take Advanced courses; however, those who have graduated from Level II or who are within six hours of graduation can get started on Advanced Level Certification by signing up for an Advanced course in July.

If you have questions, contact Alicia Entzminger at aentzminger@scac.sc.

NEWS

See Tools For Accessible Digital Content as Federal Deadline Approaches for Governments

As your county prepares to meet upcoming deadlines for accessible web and social media content, several organizations have resources to help.

April 24 is the deadline for counties with 50,000 or more residents to meet updated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). Counties with fewer than 50,000 residents have until April 2027 to meet the guidelines per a final Department of Justice Rule. These standards ensure residents with disabilities, who often use assistive technology like screen readers, can fully interact with local and state governments’ digital content.

Some helpful materials and resources available include:

A Resource Library including work plans from local governments across the county from the National Association of Government Web Professionals
The National Association of Counties’ Tech Brief on Digital Accessibility and Americans With Disabilities Act Compliance

FY 2026-27 Millage Rate Limitation Released

The S.C. Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs has released county millage rate limitation for FY 2026-27. County population estimates, one of the two components that make up the millage rate increase limitation, were recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The other component, a Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 2.63%, was released in February.

The millage rate limitation for FY 2026-27 will be the total of the percentage increase in a county's population estimate from 2024 to 2025 plus the 2.63% CPI. For purposes of the millage cap, if a county's population decreased, it is deemed to have "zero" population growth for FY 2026-27. View and download the FY 2026-27 Millage Rate Increase Limitations by County.

SC Commerce Requesting Local Input for Opportunity Zones 2.0

The South Carolina Department of Commerce (SC Commerce) is seeking input from county governments regarding the nomination of census tracts for Opportunity Zone designation as part of the updated federal program.

This program was made permanent last summer under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and authorizes governors to nominate up to 25% of their state's eligible census tracts for designations as Opportunity Zones. Once designated, the tracts can receive tax-advantaged private investment through Qualified Opportunity Funds.

While some tracts designated under the existing program will be eligible for redesignations, others may not.

All recommendations must be submitted no later than June 1.

More information is available on the new Opportunity Zone page on the SC Commerce website. This page includes background information, the recommendation and designation timeline and an interactive map of census tracts anticipated to be eligible for consideration.

If you have questions, contact OpportunityZones@sccommerce.com.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Budget and Policy Positions in Focus as Legislative Session Approaches Sine Die

With sine die-—the end of the regular legislative session—approaching in a few weeks, all eyes are on the FY 2026-27 state budget. The appropriations bill will be debated by the full Senate the week of April 20. The Senate Finance version includes three SCAC policy positions—an annual increase to the Local Government Fund, a minimum grant of $200,000 per county in Aid to County Libraries, and funding for affordable and workforce housing.

The SCAC Advocacy team is tracking more than 1,200 bills this session, with more than 40 policy positions in progress across 60 bills.

Watch our latest County Conversations video featuring a policy positions update from SCAC Director of Governmental Affairs Owen McBride.

For weekly, in-depth legislative updates, be sure to read the Friday Report.

PUBLICATIONS

Check Out the 2026 Wage & Salary Report + Directory of County Officials

The FY 2026 Wage and Salary Report features results of SCAC’s biennial survey of 203 positions in county government.

Forty-two counties (91%) responded to this year’s survey. The report serves as a resource to counties when creating new positions, reclassifying positions, amending pay ranges, or planning budgets. The report provides detailed wage and salary information by county and position.

Thank you to the human resources professionals in counties across the state who took the time to complete and submit surveys, making the report possible.

The 2026 edition of the Directory of County Officials is available online and has been mailed to county officials. It identifies all elected and appointed county officials in the state. View individual county pages at sccounties.org/county-directory-pages.

GRANT CENTRAL STATION

FEMA Announces $1 Billion in Funding to Help State Mitigate Impact of Disasters

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced application and eligibility requirements for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) 2024-25 mitigation grant program. This is a new round of the formerly on-hold BRIC grant program.

Mitigation projects are designed to reduce future risk and harm from natural hazard events, from mitigation planning and project scoping to large-scale projects to improve resilience of public infrastructure. More information, including eligible project categories, is available in the BRIC 2024 & 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity.

South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) will offer application briefings to provide information on BRIC eligibility and the application process. Applications must be submitted by SCEMD in the FEMAGO platform by July 23.

Local Governments Urged to Coordinate with SCDOT on Grant Requests for Roads

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) reminds local governments to coordinate with them at least 45 calendar days in advance if a letter of support is being requested or before submitting a state or federal grant application or earmark request if the project impacts: