At the Oct. 14 York County Council workshop, county management presented options for government relations services and legislative strategy and recommended against hiring a federal lobbyist at this time.

Why it matters: Councilmembers said a consistent presence and clear, packaged asks for the county are necessary to secure state or federal support for priorities such as roads, water and sewer infrastructure, public safety (including jail/booking center needs), parks, and potential fire department requests. Several councilmembers said York County previously had a dedicated representative focused on government affairs and that a dedicated, locally accountable role could help the county identify opportunities and follow through on legislative changes or grant opportunities.

Staff recommendation and rationale: A staff speaker recommended not moving forward immediately with federal lobbyists that responded to the RFP, citing a constrained federal funding environment and the near‑term reduced utility of federal lobbying. The speaker said the county’s state delegation relationships are developing and recommended the manager’s office and assistant county managers increase in‑person engagement in Columbia this year and bring councilmembers to relevant meetings (for example the South Carolina Association of Counties winter event).

Council discussion: Councilmembers debated options. Some argued the county needs a persistent, on‑the‑ground presence to monitor legislative developments and to prepare and present packaged asks; others said management staff and existing delegation relationships can be used more effectively if staff prepare a focused legislative platform and materials for meetings. Several councilmembers expressed concern that outside firms serving multiple clients may not have the same attention as a local government affairs coordinator who would be more embedded in York County business. One councilmember said he "does not like the term lobbyist" and prefers a government affairs coordinator who is closely tied to county priorities.

Procedural follow up: Councilmembers and staff agreed to continue discussion and requested management to provide more detailed recommendations and to translate council priorities into a legislative agenda document to use in Columbia. The agenda item on lobbyists (deferred at this meeting) will be added back to the next Monday meeting agenda for further consideration.

Meeting close and formal action: The workshop concluded with a motion to adjourn that was moved and seconded. The chair called for the vote; the motion carried with the council saying "aye" and the meeting was adjourned.