Horry County treasurer wants judge to make his ruling clear in fee feud

Horry County Treasurer Angie Jones is tired of being stuck in the middle of Horry County and the municipalities. And on Wednesday, she asked a judge to clarify who should be collecting the hospitality fee.

Jones, an elected official, filed a request Monday morning for clarification on a court order from two weeks prior. She wants to know who can collect the hospitality fee moving forward.

“Jones, as the official Treasurer is in an impossible situation in that she cannot advise the taxpaying public as to who these fees should be paid to,” the filing states.

The collection of Horry County’s 1.5 percent fee has been in question since several municipalities passed ordinances saying they would collect the fee on their own at 1 percent.

In March, Myrtle Beach sued Horry County over who was legally authorized to collect the fee.

Two weeks ago, Judge William Seals Jr. gave a temporary ruling on the lawsuit between Myrtle Beach and Horry County, sparking a legal battle over what the order meant for other municipalities like Surfside Beach and Myrtle Beach.

Horry County believes the order says it can still collect the fee in areas other than Myrtle Beach City limits. North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach believe the judge clearly meant for the county’s collection to cease.

Jones said with the collection period starting soon, she thinks her office and local businesses need clarification on who to charge when it comes time to collect the fee’s revenue.

In the court filing, there are sworn statements from Jones and Alten Driggers, a supervisor in the business license department within the treasurer’s office. Driggers said 55 businesses have called the office asking for answers.

Businesses in the municipalities have called her office asking for guidance on what they’re supposed to do come collection day in August. She doesn’t have a good answer right now.

“I can’t tell them not to pay their cities, their cities can revoke their business license, I am stuck in the middle,” Jones said.

Jones identifies other issues involving potential refunds and discrepancies in collections that the judge did not include in his ruling. One being the difference between the 1 percent hospitality fee collected by the municipalities and the 1.5 percent the county collects.

She wants to know what businesses will have to do if they collect 1 percent expecting to pay a municipality but end up having to pay 1.5 percent to Horry County. Jones’ question is who will be responsible for paying the .5 percent difference.

For her, filing a motion isn’t about taking a side in the feud, it’s about trying to do right by all the people she was elected to serve.

“I want both governing bodies to sit down and work something out. This is not good for our county, it’s not good for the city, it’s not good for the state. It’s ridiculous,” Jones said.

This story was originally published July 3, 2019 at 12:44 PM.