RIDE III tax question to build roads passes overwhelmingly

Horry County residents voted in favor of the RIDE III ballot referendum by a wide margin to raise some sales taxes by one percent in order to fund $600 million in road construction projects.

With all 131 precincts reporting by press time, 82,126 voted yes, while 36,669 voted no.

“The voters have spoken loud and clear — we want more roads and better roads,” said Brad Dean, executive director of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. “Let the construction begin.”

The chamber and numerous other tourism and business officials launched a campaign in the last two weeks and spent $200,000 to promote RIDE III, in part to educate new voters in the area.

“With a frustrated and angry electorate, we anticipated it would be a challenge to pass a road tax, but this vote shows there was a clear mandate,” Dean said.

“We were nervous this would get caught up in the national frustration with government, and spill over into an anti-road vote.”

Instead, he said the total vote in favor looks to be the largest pro-road vote held in Horry County.

The one percent tax on retail, restaurants, bars, hotels and prepared foods in grocery stores will go into effect in May for eight years. Tourists are expected to contribute to the bulk of the funding.

There are 15 major projects plus road resurfacing and paving projects that have been prioritized in terms of construction timing; however, all of the planning, right-of-way purchases and utility work is expected to begin simultaneously for all projects.

The first priority is to expand U.S.501 from Conway to the Carolina Bays Parkway to six lanes, relieving the traffic congestion that is jammed with tourists heading to the beach every summer.

Also on the list of priorities is the expansion of Carolina Forest Boulevard, extending Palmetto Point Boulevard to S.C. 544 and widening S.C. 9 east of Loris.

RIDE III also will provide funding for environmental studies to build the Southern Evacuation Lifeline and construction of S.C. 31 to the North Carolina state line.

Included on the list of projects was the paving and resurfacing of nearly 200 miles of county roads.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 9:21 PM with the headline "RIDE III tax question to build roads passes overwhelmingly."