The City of Rock Hill is often recognized for its efforts in a variety of areas. This list includes those that are recurring, city-wide recognitions or recent significant achievements.

American Public Power Association

Reliable Public Power (RP3) Award – Diamond Designation

For the sixth consecutive time, the Electric Department has been recognized as a leading power provider on a national level.  The Diamond Designation places the department among the top providers in the nation.  For the first time in 2021, the department received a perfect score on its award application submittal.  The RP3 award is valid for three consecutive years.

Arbor Day Foundation

Tree City USA

The City has continued to receive this award in recognition of the work the City does in protecting the urban forest. Rock Hill’s continued success as a Tree City USA recipient provides a better quality of life for its residents & visitors through the recognition of benefits trees provide and the support of a healthy & well-maintained tree canopy.

Gallagher

Best-in Class Employer

Gallagher’s Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis scored the City of Rock Hill in the top of mid-sized employers, identifying the City as an organization that excels in optimizing employee and organizational wellbeing.

CivicPlus

Civic Experience Award

This award was created to recognize local government leaders, departments and municipalities working to create greater civic participation.  Rock Hill earned a Silver Award for its Inside Rock Hill course.

Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)/SC Law Enforcement

Accreditation Council

Certificate of Advanced Accreditation with Meritorious ranking/State Dual Accreditation The Rock Hill Police Department is dually accredited by both the state and national accrediting bodies. The City is one of less than 5% of Police Departments that are nationally accredited by CALEA. 

Energage

South Carolina Top Workplace 2022

The City of Rock Hill participated in a 3rd-party employee engagement survey comparing us with other South Carolina employers and was recognized as one of the top employers in the state in regard to how well the organization handles employee concerns, benefits, work/life balance and diversity.

Government Finance Officers Association

Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

This award honors local governments that prepare budget documents of the very highest quality that reflect both the guidelines established by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA’s best practices on budgeting.

Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

This award was established to encourage and assist local governments to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.

Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting

This award was established to encourage and assist state and local governments to extract information from their comprehensive annual financial report to produce high quality popular annual financial reports specifically designed to be readily accessible and easily understandable to the general public and other interested parties without a background in public finance.

International City/County Management Association (ICMA)

Certificate of Excellence

The City has received the highest designation from the ICMA for excellence in performance management – the Certificate of Excellence. The City receives this award for its data-based decision-making, incorporating surveys, and the overall performance efforts made throughout our organization.

International City/County Management Association (ICMA)/National Research Center, Inc.

Voice of the People Awards: Foundations of Livability, Natural Environment, and Built Environment

The Voice of the People Awards are the only awards given in local government based on the opinions of residents through the National Citizen Survey. Using the City’s National Citizen Survey results, the City received three awards. Of special note is the award for Foundations of Livability which encompasses the overall aspects that make a community a place where people want to live – including overall quality of life, quality of services, confidence in local government, and welcoming citizen involvement.

International Code Council

Innovation in Code Administration Award

In 2019, the Rock Hill Open for Business Program was named the winner of this prestigious national award for the work that the City does with new small businesses in the community.

Insurance Service Office (ISO)

Class 1 Designation

The City received notice of once again being recognized as a Class 1 Fire Department. The Fire Department has retained its status as an ISO 1 since 2016.

League of American Bicyclists

Bicycle Friendly Community

The City received the Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists.

Keystone Substance Abuse Services

Outstanding Partnership Award

The City’s Police Department received this award for our partnership in combatting the opioid crisis and providing services to benefit clients.

Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC)

Achievement Awards

Most recently, the MASC recognized the City in the Public Service Category for the work of the Community Vaccination Clinic. The City has won an Achievement Award three times since 2012.

National Civic League

All-America City

The City was recognized as an All-America City in 2019, a highly competitive award that recognizes communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness, and innovation to successfully address local issues.

National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)

Blue Seal Certification

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) gauges the expertise of automotive professionals for service managers and customers.  The City’s fleet has received this award for more than seven years as an ASE Blue Seal repair facility and Rock Hill is one of only a few municipal fleet divisions with this designation in SC.

Preserve America Community

Preserve America is a national initiative in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and Transportation; U.S. General Services Administration; National Endowment for the Humanities; President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; Institute of Museum and Library Services; and the President's Council on Environmental Quality.

Southeast Festival and Events Association

Over the last few years, the City and ChristmasVille have received awards related to staff, merchandise, program, marketing, etc.

South Carolina Arts Commission

Downtown as a State Designated Cultural District

In 2014, the General Assembly passed a law providing for the establishment of State-Designated Cultural Districts by the South Carolina Arts Commission. The City of Rock Hill was the first City in the state to receive this designation. Obtaining this designation will help attract artists and entrepreneurs to the Downtown area, encourage economic development and local cultural development, and provide a focal point for celebrating the unique cultural identity of Rock Hill. The designation effort was led by the Arts Council of York County, who will serve as the designated partner within the district.

South Carolina Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

Patriot Award

The Above and Beyond Award recognizes employers at the local level who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association (SCRPA)

Parks Excellence Award

The SCRPA recognized the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center for the top new or revitalized park facility in the state. Applications are judged on several factors including the facility’s impact on the community, how the facility meets the agency’s mission statement and/or goals, and public involvement and partnerships.

United States Tennis Association (USTA)

Outstanding Facility Awards

The USTA recognized the Rock Hill Tennis Center as one of 25 facilities in the nation with excellence in the construction and/or renovation of the tennis facility.