Myrtle Beach considers $175 million budget, includes convention center parking increase

Non-Myrtle Beach residents driving to the city’s convention center could see an increase in parking costs if City Council chooses to adopt the $175 million budget presented Sunday evening by the chief financial officer. The proposed budget does not include a property tax increase.

Those parking at the convention center could have to pay $5 per car – a $2 increase. Residents who have city parking decals already are able to park for free. Residents whose vehicles are registered in the city of Myrtle Beach and who pay taxes on that vehicle are eligible for the decals.

“This budget has no tax increase, no increase in the business license fee structure, and no increases in fees or new fees,” Chief Financial Officer Michael Shelton said.

The $175 million budget – up from $156.9 last year – also includes an anticipated $10 million in bond debt to pay for the construction of a performing arts center. City Council is expected to discuss the future of the center on Monday during its budget retreat in Pinopolis.

Residents and businesses also could see a 2.5 to 2.8 percent increase in their water bills if City Council chooses to approve the budget as presented. Shelton said that it would be an additional $1.23 a month for a residential user who averages 7,500 gallons.

The budget as presented also includes about 22 additional city positions, including an additional EMS unit if the city is awarded a federal Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant.

City staff presented a brief overview of the budget Sunday night with plans to go through each department in detail when the retreat reconvenes Monday.

Concepts versus numbers

City staff spent much of the first day of Myrtle Beach’s budget retreat discussing the six initiatives that City Manager John Pedersen said will shape the future policy decisions for the city:

Product development

▪ Reinvest a portion of tourism-related revenues in new tourism-generating products by establishing a product development fund that will be used for initiatives including providing funding incentives for private investment in tourism-related facilities and enabling public-private partnerships.

Succession plan/organizational development

▪ Identify key positions and the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for those positions. Focus on identifying a diverse pool of potential talent including women, minorities and people of all ages.

▪ Develop a positive marketing plan about what it meas to be a public servant and focus the plan to target millennials, which city employees say is their “future workforce.”

Sports tourism

▪ Create a separate identity for sports tourism by creating a new supervisor position.

▪ Staff suggested considering the sale of alcohol at the Myrtle Beach Sports Center for “adult events” such as boxing or mixed-martial arts fighting, but councilmen Mike Lowder and Michael Chestnut said they did not approve.

Downtown

▪ City Council will consider increasing parking citation fees and meter increases at its meeting Tuesday.

▪ Pedersen suggested placing a police precinct in the south mixed-use area, defined as the area from First Avenue North to Seventh Avenue North and from the Atlantic Ocean to Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, to establish a “24/7/365” presence in that area.

▪ Begin talking to Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. about developing at the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion site.

Neighborhood

▪ Forming a neighborhood services group to focus on “challenged communities” such as the Booker T. Washington, Harlem and Withers Swash neighborhoods.

▪ City will staff a committee to focus on a study of redevelopment on Carver Street to include Charlie’s Place.

Crime

▪ Improve officer retention by incentivizing referrals for current officers where if a referral is hired, the current officers gets $1,000. If the referral stays for five years, the person who referred the new officer gets another $1,000.

▪ Improve positive neighborhood interactions and focus on diversity in recruiting.

City staff will go through the details of each initiative when representatives from each department present to City Council afer the retreat resumes Monday.

This story was originally published April 12, 2015 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach considers $175 million budget, includes convention center parking increase."