In 2021, the Municipal Association of SC entered into a partnership with HGACBuy to create City Connect Market, a program which offers South Carolina cities and towns the benefits of a cooperative purchasing program.
HGACBuy is operated by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and began in 1975. The cooperative purchasing group serves 8,200 members with 41 major categories of products and services and works with more than 800 qualified contractors.
In the cooperative, centralized staff receives bids and coordinates purchases for local governments across the country. This group effort results in better pricing as a result of volume discounts.
Municipal officials and staff can search the available contract through City Connect Market or contact the Association with a specific request. The Association works with the product vendor to ensure that the city gets a quote using the City Connect Market pricing guidelines. Once the quote is approved by the city, the Association will work directly with HGACBuy to place the order. The Association also serves as a liaison to assist the municipality throughout the purchasing process. For more information, contact Jake Broom at 803.933.1270 or purchasing@masc.sc.
Additionally, members of the SC Municipal Insurance and Risk Financing Fund and SC Municipal Insurance Trust can submit grant reimbursement requests for qualified items purchased through City Connect Market. Examples of the items include body cameras and vehicle video cameras for law enforcement, turnout gear and other equipment for firefighters as well as sewer cameras for public works.
SCMIT and SCMIRF began accepting applications for the 2022 calendar year on February 16. Reimbursement distributions began in early March, in the order that they were received.
For more information on the grants offered by SCMIT and SCMIRF visit:
For any additional questions about the grants, contact Lisa Dunkley at 803.933.1237 or rmsgrants@masc.sc.