February 2026

2026 INSURANCE TRUSTS MEETING

Moonlighting, Cybersecurity Among Hot Topics at 2026 Insurance Trusts Meeting

Members of the South Carolina Counties’ Insurance Trusts met at the end of January to review best practices in risk management and to celebrate their accomplishments in keeping their communities safe.

Attendees heard from SC Counties Workers’ Compensation Trust Claims Manager Lang Kelly and a panel of experts on how to navigate the complexities of workers’ compensation coverage for law enforcement personnel who moonlight for other employers and organizations.

Cybersecurity was also a hot topic, including social engineering and how AI is making it more difficult to discern actual threats. Ryan Truskey, director of South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity and chief information security officer with SLED, and Sean Scranton with Willis Towers Watson gave an overview of best practices to ensure county networks are secure.

Scranton stressed the importance of practicing good “password hygiene” and using multifactor authentication (MFA) to add an extra level of security to your login data.

“Trust me, your username and your password are out on the dark web. Most of the feeds are breached usernames and passwords. Your solution to that is MFA,” he said.

2026 Insurance Trusts Awards Recognize Innovations in Safety, Risk Management

The South Carolina Counties’ Insurance Trusts also recognized 18 counties this year for their dedication to mitigating risk and keeping communities safe.

Submitted projects ranged from minimizing motor vehicle accidents to assisting residents who might be struggling with opioid addiction.

“You do so much that goes unnoticed by the public, so we thank you for all that you do,” said SCAC Director of Insurance Services Robert Benfield.

See photos from this year's meeting, including the Insurance Trusts Award winners.

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT

Counties Throughout the State See Snow During Winter Storms

Greenville County animal care workers keep pups company overnight during the recent winter storm.

South Carolina saw a rare winter blast recently, with counties across the state getting blanketed in snow. For many areas, this was the first meaningful snow in over a decade. And snow on palm trees? That’s something you don't see every day!

SCAC is grateful for all the county employees and officials who worked hard to make sure their communities stayed safe during the storm!

Photos courtesy of (clockwise):

Preparing brine for the roads - Dorchester County

Horry County Fire Department - Horry County

Bamberg County Public Safety & Human Services - Bamberg County

Clearing the roads - Greenville County

Snow on the marsh - Georgetown County

EVENTS

We're Looking Forward to Seeing You at Counties Connect and Institute of Government

SCAC is excited to see you this week for Counties Connect on Feb. 18 and the Institute of Government on Feb. 19.

These events provide an excellent opportunity for county leaders to learn about timely topics and connect with their local delegation members to advocate for counties.

Registration will be available onsite at the Pastides Alumni Center in downtown Columbia.

Registration for 2026 Annual Conference and Institute of Government Opens in March

Mark your calendars! Registration for the 2026 SCAC Annual Conference and Institute of Government opens next month.

This year's conference will be held July 27-30 at Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms.

Keep an eye on your inbox for the announcement that registration is open.

PUBLICATIONS

Revenue and Home Rule Publications Updated

Two legal supplements are now available online. The 2025 Supplement to Revenue Resources for County Government should be referred to and filed with the 2016 publication. The supplement contains statutory amendments, case law and Attorney General’s opinions published after the main volume was printed. The main document and supplement address revenue raising authority granted to counties by statutes other than those in the Home Rule Act.

The 2025 Supplement to the Home Rule Handbook for County Government features updates since 2024 to any statutory amendments, case law and Attorney General’s opinions interpreting the statutes affecting county government structure and operations.

Both publications are offered as references, and SCAC staff is available to help county officials and employees with any questions that might arise regarding revenue raising authority, the Home Rule Act or any other matter that affects county government.

All publications are available for download online at sccounties.org/publications. If you would like a printed copy, contact SCAC at 1-800-922-6081 or scac@scac.sc.