To receive credit for Level II courses, county officials must have completed Level I or be within nine (9) hours of graduating from Level I.  To graduate from Level II, county officials must attend 18 contact hours of instruction.  All courses offered are three contact hours.

– ANY SIX COURSES ARE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO GRADUATE –

Current Issues Facing County Government - This course will provide an opportunity for discussion of current issues facing county government as they come into play that would not otherwise be included in the curriculum.  Current Issues courses may focus on such topics as jails, solid waste management, privatization of county government services, regionalization and consolidation, the environment, health care-related issues, etc.  A maximum of two of these courses may be applied to completion of Level II.

Decision-Making in a Political Environment - The environment in which county elected officials and top administrators function often requires effective negotiating skills.  Topics will include a review of decision-making theory and practices in government, identification of problems, fact-finding, setting criteria for selecting among alternatives, and the political aspects of decision-making.  This class will consider the negotiation process, styles of negotiation, techniques for improving negotiating skills, and developing your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement).  This course, together with “The Policy Role of Council”, will provide council members with the basic information they need to address the critical policy decisions facing their communities. Next class offered on 10/18/07.

Economic Development - If planned and implemented effectively by local government leaders, economic development strategies can yield more jobs, increased incomes, and greater resource productivity.  This course will explore the economic development planning process, developing locally-based economic development strategies, financing economic development projects, and evaluating economic development efforts.  Roles of major players in the economic development process will be discussed.  Economic development incentives available to local government will also be explained. Next class offered on 8/1/07 - SCAC Annual Conference. (Approved for 3 hrs of CE credit for P&Z officials & employees)

Effective Communications - This course will reinforce the importance of ongoing communications with citizens, with county staff, with other elected county officials, and with each other.  It will discuss a variety of communication opportunities and strategies.  Other topics which will be discussed include creating positive media relations (both print and nonprint), preparing for an interview, getting your message out, and what makes for an effective press release.

Financial Management - Budget decision-making and format, risk management, cash management and purchasing, alternative budget formats and processes will be examined in this class.  Alternatives to be considered are performance and objectives budgeting; program budgeting; zero-based budgeting; and target-based budgeting.  Contracting out will also be discussed.  Each of these methods will be explored in detail with particular emphasis placed on the connection between financial decisions and council policy-making and goal-setting. Next class offered on 10/18/07.

Strategic Planning - This course will build on the Level I course, “Planning and Zoning”, and provide an in-depth discussion of strategic planning as a management tool to help the county respond to a dynamic, changing environment.  Issues and decisions which could place the county at legal risk such as “takings”, vested rights, rational basis, the linkage of implementation tools (zoning, subdivision regulations, etc.), and the land use element of the comprehensive plan will be covered. (Approved for 3 hrs of CE credit for P&Z officials & employees)

The Policy Role of Council - This course is designed to help council members carry out their role as policymakers in today’s complex policy environment.  Topics will include understanding public policy, introduction to policy analysis, political considerations of policy choices, and implementation issues.  The importance of lobbying by county officials will also be discussed. This course, together with “Decision-Making in a Political Environment”, will provide council members with the basic information they need to address the critical policy decisions facing their communities. Next class offered on 8/2/07 - SCAC Annual Conference.

The Property Taxation Process - This course will examine the property taxation process in South Carolina.  Topics will include legal considerations and responsibilities; key players in the process and their role, i.e., county council, auditor, assessor, treasurer, and tax commission; property tax administration; computing the millage rate; and actual versus assessed value.  Key terms will be defined.

Sponsored By:

South Carolina Association of Counties
1919 Thurmond Mall
P.O. Box 8207
Columbia, SC 29202-8207
803-252-7255 or
1-800-922-6081

Institute for Public Service and Policy Research

Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs

Clemson University