Pigs feeding at the trough
By Warner M.Montgomery warner@thecolumbiastar.com

Howard Duvall, executive director of the Municipal Association of South Carolina

Howard Duvall was born and raised in Cheraw, served as president of the Class of 1961 at Cheraw High School, finished The Citadel, became a captain in the US Air Force, retired to Cheraw and became its mayor, earned a masters of public administration at USC. Then he got serious!

Speaking to the Columbia Rotary Club Monday, Duvall made the case for the cities and towns in South Carolina, a case he has made everyday for 22 years as executive director of the Municipal Association of South Carolina. The ten metropolitan areas of the state are represented by the association. These 142 cities and towns make up 72% of the state's population, 80% of the state's growth, 78% of the state's jobs, and 76% of the state's gross domestic product.

Yet, said Duvall, "When I lobby for our members, some state senators still say we are just pigs feeding at the trough." The hostile attitude by the legislature makes this gentleman work harder to change public perception of the value of cities to the state's economy. Hometown SC,

according to Duvall, is an initiative by 14 of the mayors of the state's largest cities, a group he calls the 25K Mayors. They are working to promote economic growth and fiscal responsibility among their members. Also, high on their list is a review of the SC tax system which Duvall says is subject to unfair tinkering by the legislature is another program of the Municipal Association designed to help businesses grow through increased competitiveness. Information on this program can be seen at Citiesmeanbusiness.org.