Horry County approves new budget, but it may change with economic bounce back
Despite the coronavirus and economic setbacks, Horry County has a new budget that does not include any tax or fee increases.
County Council voted 9 to 3 to approve the third and final reading of the fiscal year 2021 budget, with council members Tyler Servant, Gary Loftus and Al Allen voting against it.
Council met in person on Tuesday.
The new budget is $73 million less than last year’s budget, and in total, it is a $458 million budget. It aims to maintain current operations throughout the remainder of the coronavirus pandemic. Many capital improvement projects were removed from the budget to make up for revenue shortfalls.
Employee raises were also postponed for the coming year, and there was a general hiring freeze.
“I’ve been here for about 30 years, and this is one of the hardest I’ve gone through,” Council Member Paul Prince said.
Council and county staff spent months fine tuning the budget ahead of it being approved. Further cuts were agreed upon with council deciding to reduce the business license fee to give business owners a break.
While it’s possible to revise the budget even in normal years, it is more likely County Council could change it soon. If the economic situation improves, the county may consider bringing back some of the projects that were cut in the approved draft.
Prince asked whether hospitality fee dollars could be used elsewhere if the lawsuit surrounding it is settled. Last year, Myrtle Beach sued Horry County over the collection of a fee within municipal borders. The lawsuit is awaiting its day in the South Carolina Supreme Court, but the two parties may settle outside of court.
Previous attempts to settle through mediation were unsuccessful.
“There has been activity but there has been no significant change in status,” Horry County Attorney Arrigo Carotti said.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 7:41 PM.
