Looking ahead to ’22, Horry County leaders plan for more cops, stormwater projects, RIDE IV
At its winter budget retreat Thursday, Horry leaders met for a day-long session to assess the county’s financial position, concluding by the afternoon that the local government had small surpluses it could spend now, and that the county was likely in a position to add staff and increase service in the near future.
Nearly six months into the county’s current fiscal year, leaders have identified $7.86 million in budget surpluses that they plan to spend now to hire new staff members, pave roads and buy new equipment. According to an ordinance council members gave preliminary approval to Thursday, the surplus would break down as follows:
- A one time cash-injection from a tax increment financing deal for the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base will help pay for a fuel storage project, a new armored vehicle for police and an additional study of impact fees.
- A $2 million surplus in the local government fund will allow the county to resurface and re-stripe roads.
- A recurring $1.1 million increase from building permit fees will allow the county to hire three building inspectors, four building plan reviewers, an assistant zoning administrator, and two civil engineers.
- A doubling of the cremation permit fee — from $25 to $50 — will provide $54,000 in additional pay for the deputy coroner.
- And a $60,000 surplus will allow the county to hire a lobbyist to work in Columbia to work to bring additional state dollars to Horry County.
Looking ahead to the county’s next budget, which will be debated this spring and put in place from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, county leaders requested new funding for additional police officers and equipment, showed how an increased stormwater fee is being used, and outlined a timeline for the county’s next road-building program, RIDE IV.
You can find additional details about the county’s preliminary budget plans here.
Requests for more staff and equipment
As with all budget cycles, leaders of county departments and divisions addressed council members Thursday to ask for additional funding in next year’s budget to increase their staffs and buy new equipment. The county public safety division made one of the most significant asks, requesting nearly $20 million for new staff and equipment in coming years, including hiring more than 70 police officers and staff members for the department.
Included in that $20 million ask is also six new positions in the 911 department, new detention and emergency medical service staff and new equipment for the animal control department.
Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety Randy Webster told council members that he wouldn’t request the $20 million in new staff and equipment all at once, but that the departments he oversees would build up to their needs over several years. It’s not yet clear how much Webster will request for the 2022-2023 budget, as Webster said he and his staff were still working out year-by-year asks.
In the Infrastructure and Regulation division, county staff are asking to hire nine new technicians and mechanics while the airport is looking to hire six custodians, two technicians and two police officers. The county assessor and auditor are both looking to hire additional staff as well to aid the county’s tax collection system.
On Thursday, county officials also noted that while they are asking for additional funds to hire police officers and other public safety staff, they have gaps in hiring positions that are open now. As of July 1, after last year’s budget was enacted, the county sought to hire 354 positions, but still has 226 vacancies. Thirty-five of those vacancies are among detention officers, 33 are among police and 27 are in the Fire Rescue department.
The stormwater fee doubled — here’s how it’s being used
When the county’s current budget passed in June this year, it included a $45 increase in the annual stormwater fee residents pay, effectively doubling the fee that helps pay for flooding mitigation projects. On Thursday, Thom Roth, the head of the county stormwater department, outlined how he was spending the money that’s been collected so far.
The fee increase is expected to raise more than $10 million this year and $8 million in subsequent years, and Roth said earlier this year he hoped to hire 36 new staff members and buy numerous piece of new heavy equipment. On Thursday, Roth said he only has five vacancies left to fill, and that he was able to hire so quickly because of “word of mouth” networking by current staff. The new employees came from Horry County’s farms, as well as HTC and Grand Strand Water & Sewer, he said.
In addition, Roth said the department is now using 11 track hoes, doubling the amount it previously used, and is now using five bush hogs. The department also purchased, or is working to purchase, several excavators and tractors, spray trucks, drones and a piece of equipment called slack tracks, which allows heavy vehicles to travel across yards and fields without leaving significant marks.
The department has already used the slack tracks, which vehicles like track hoes drive on top of, Roth said.
“The grass barely looked bent,” he said. “Instead of trying to hammer with a screwdriver we’re actually using the right equipment.”
Put together, Roth said, the new staff and equipment is already allowing his crews to clean miles more of stormwater ditches than before. Where the department might have cleaned five miles of ditches in years past, he said, its now on track to clean eight or nine miles this year.
When will RIDE IV provide more money for road building?
County Council members on Thursday also heard an outline for the county’s fourth iteration of its Ride Improvement and Development Effort, which will be known as RIDE IV. The program collects a one-cent sales tax across the county and uses the money to repair and build roads.
County leaders hope to form RIDE IV’s preliminary advisory committee in the spring, according to David Gilreath, the county’s assistant administrator for infrastructure and regulation, a body appointed by county and city councils.
From the summer of 2022 to early 2023, that committee will be tasked with recommending projects to include in the RIDE IV program. One project Carolina Forest residents want, for example, is an extension of Gardner Lacy Road to International Drive.
By the summer of 2023, county leaders hope to appoint the formal RIDE IV committee which will have until 2024 to recommend a final list of projects that fits state law. The county council will be tasked in the spring of 2024 to pass legislation to put the project list and the sales tax on the November ballots. Then, voters will cast votes during the November 2024 elections to approve or reject the program.
If voters approve the program, the county will begin collecting the sales tax on May 1, 2025. The program will run through April 2032.
