Orangeburg council adopts Municipal Association 2025–26 legislative priorities

The Orangeburg City Council on Jan. 2 adopted a resolution supporting the Municipal Association of South Carolina's 2025–26 legislative advocacy initiatives, endorsing a suite of proposals the association will promote during the upcoming state legislative session.

City staff highlighted several of the association's priorities, including protecting municipal authority to regulate short-term rentals within city limits; permitting cities and towns without an existing property tax millage to impose a millage within specified limits; allowing municipalities to place a one-cent municipal project sales tax on a referendum ballot for city residents to approve funding for local capital projects; supporting state funding for police equipment and infrastructure; and pursuing legislation to allow retirees to return to municipal employment without an earnings cap on their retirement benefits.

Councilman Grieve moved adoption of the resolution and Councilman Knotts seconded. The council approved the resolution by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting record. City staff said the resolution is a routine annual step that signals municipal support for the association's legislative agenda; the resolution text was before council members at the meeting.

The council did not amend the association's initiatives at the meeting; council discussion on the item was brief and there were no requests to remove or alter the listed priorities.