GREER -- This city now has hired "eyes and ears" in Columbia.

City Administrator Ed Driggers said the city has a contract with Greer-based Palmetto Public Affairs for "lobbying and government affairs services" at a cost of $3,000 per month.

Driggers said the city has "an excellent rapport" with its legislators, but they deal with many issues, and "we want to make sure we are effectively communicating to them on how certain state legislation affects our city and ultimately our taxpayers."

The firm's principal lobbyist is Matthew Van Patton.

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"I think it's a good use of the city's money," said Greer resident and former councilman Perry Dennis. He said some may consider hiring a lobbying firm a waste, but "it's going to help the city in the long run."

Greer has registered its lobbyists' names with the state Ethics Commission.

Six of the state's 268 cities have registered lobbyists, according to commission records.

On one issue, the city and Rep. Lewis Vaughn, R-Greer, disagree.

He has incorporated into the tax package being considered by the Legislature a measure that would disallow cities, schools and special districts from using a nonprofit arm to borrow money and thus circumvent the state's cap on borrowing without a referendum.

The law wouldn't affect Greer's borrowing $12 million for a new municipal complex through a nonprofit "because they've already done it," Vaughn said. "You can't pass legislation that undoes contracts. But it would stop future borrowing that way."

The city is considering borrowing another $5 million to finance a new courts and police building, and Driggers said using a nonprofit is an option the city is considering.

Vaughn said he worries the state could end up having to bail out borrowing entities.