Employee pay raises are likely in this Grand Strand city. Where is the $5.8M coming from?

The City of Myrtle Beach seems to be placing a high priority on public safety with their proposed budget, which includes hiring more officers and increasing the forces’ overall pay.

Police officer pay would be even more significant, than the proposed average 8% pay increase for all city employees: An overall average of 12.1 percent more specifically for police officers, or $6,766 a year, is in the works..

“It’s a highly competitive environment at the moment. Nationally, everyone needs police officers, and that demand has raised their value in the marketplace,” city spokesman Mark Kruea said.

How will the city pay for new police officers and increase pay

Between adjusted wages and benefits, the city would be looking at a $5.8 million outlay for its employee market adjustments.

The city employs 1,000 people, who will likely see bigger paychecks. The focus from officials has been to keep pace with compensation levels in similar-sized cities across the South, including Charleston, Charlotte and Greenville, S.C.

To help obtain the money needed for salary changes, the City Council is being asked to consider a $292 million 2022-23 spending plan that would bump property tax rates by $10 annually on an owner-occupied home assessed at $100,000. The collection amount varies depending on home’s value and ownership status.

“This really is a very tight budget, overall ... Our workload is greater than ever, and we need additional people to provide the level of service that the public expects,” Kruea said.

The mill rate increase is projected to generate an extra $4 million annually, and only covers a portion of the citywide salary adjustments, with taxes generated through tourism activities such as fees on hotel rooms making up the $1.8 million difference.

Under city manager Fox Simons’ budget recommendation, Myrtle Beach’s minimum wage for public sector workers would jump from $12.71 an hour to $15.75 in the fiscal year that starts July 1, while the average dollar increase would rise by $4,592.

The City Council is expected to vote on its upcoming budget May 24.