Horry County leaders give first approval to I-73 funding plan during special meeting
Horry County leaders voted to give a first round of approvals to a funding package that will contribute tens of millions of county tax dollars for Interstate 73.
Local leaders across the Grand Strand are trying to raise funds for the $1.6 billion highway project. Horry County’s plan will use approximately $4.2 million annually from the county’s share of the hospitality fee — a 1.5% sales tax on hotel stays, restaurant meals and event tickets — for 30 years. That funding plan could raise $126 million for I-73.
The administration committee of Horry County Council, led by council member Johnny Vaught, voted unanimously to send the funding plan on to the county council. Council members Harold Worley, Tyler Servant and Gary Loftus also sit on the administration committee.
Tuesday’s vote follows a Monday announcement from S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster that he would work to put $300 million in American Rescue Plan funding and money from the state budget toward I-73. McMaster said Monday the local contribution to the project would total $350 million.
Previously, local leaders said they hoped to raise around $200 million for the project. Vaught said Tuesday it was a shock to hear the new number from the governor on Monday, adding that they are working to figure out where the additional funding will come from.
The I-73 project has gained steam in recent weeks after a federal judge ruled to uphold environmental permits the project would need in early September. Following that ruling, in which judge Bruce Howe Hendricks ruled against the Coastal Conservation League, which had challenged the permits, local and state lawmakers began meeting to put together a funding package to raise $1.2 billion for I-73.
Trapper Fowler, with CCL, spoke in opposition of the project during the public comment portion of the meeting, citing increased traffic congestion and devastation to the area’s wetlands. He also said existing roads have been neglected, and this money could be used to repair them.
“These road projects should be prioritized,” he said. “They will continue to be utilized whether I-73 is built or not.”
At Monday’s press conference, county councilman Orton Bellamy said there are plans to focus on improving local roads to complement I-73.
The Tuesday meeting was called after the administration committee, at its regular meeting on Sept. 28, delayed a vote on the funding plan because county officials wished to wait for more details about I-73 funding plans from Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. McMaster’s announcement, which The Sun News first reported on Thursday, caused county leaders to schedule a special meeting of the committee for Tuesday afternoon.
I-73 would ultimately run from I-95 near Latta and Dillon, in between Marion and Mullins, in between Aynor and Loris and end at Highway 22, just North of Conway. The full interstate highway could one day run through South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Michigan and end near Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
