Myrtle Beach could be divided into 6 city council districts. What maps show

After years of discussion, Myrtle Beach City Council is considering giving voters the chance to split the city into districts. Preliminary maps show how a hypothetical district council model could split the city.

While the maps, which The Sun News obtained from the city through a Freedom of Information Act request, show possible starting points for a district form of council, they’re far from finalized.

“This is all preliminary, so that what you see in a map has nothing to do with what reality may turn out to be,” said councilman Bill McClure, who brought the matter to other members for consideration.

For maps of what hypothetical districts could look like, Myrtle Beach City Council sought research and renderings from city staff and the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. Three of the maps show possible four-district divisions, but one maps out how the city might be split into six districts.

Using federal guidelines, the mapped districts have roughly equivalent populations. Although factors like race and resident totals were considered, planned unit developments, or PUDs, weren’t and could be split into different districts.

Why are city officials considering council districts?

Under the current at-large form of council, Myrtle Beach voters elect six council members who represent the entire city. But under a district model, each district would get its own council member to represent the area’s particular needs and interests.

“I have said that this is probably the best way to go for our city, that we need to listen to our residents,” McClure said. “I don’t think council should be in the position of not listening. If this is something that our residents want, then we have to consider it and take it very, very seriously.”

Creating districts would ensure one member from each area with a roughly equivalent population, which would prevent over and underrepresentation in certain areas.

“The majority of people on council, including me, live in the north end. So, folks down in the south end — and I don’t just mean the Market Common, I’m talking about communities like Ramsey Acres — they’ve always felt underrepresented,” said McClure.

McClure is a proponent of a four-district council with six council members, where each district is represented by a member and two members serve at-large, representing the city as a whole.

Although districts could have competing interests, in theory, the two at-large members would act in the best interest of the city as a whole, balancing priorities and minimizing conflict between districts.

For council members representing a specific district, the single-member model could lower the economic barrier to run a council campaign, because candidates running to be a district member would only need to fund and campaign around that district. However, it could also limit the candidate options in that district, as fewer people would be eligible.

How could Myrtle Beach create council districts?

In order to adopt a district form of council, a majority of Myrtle Beach voters will need to vote for one in a referendum.

There are two ways to bring council districts to a referendum. A council majority — four members — could call a referendum by ordinance to put before voters.

But if council doesn’t, registered voters can also put council districts on the ballot. If 15% of registered Myrtle Beach voters sign a petition, they can also put a referendum to change the form of government to a vote.

Myrtle Beach City Council isn’t taking immediate action to bring council districts to a referendum, but McClure anticipates it will have “major discussions” about districts publicly in 2026.

“I believe, after we present all of the facts to the public through public meetings and workshops, and the public has all of the information necessary to make a really qualified decision, I believe it will go to a referendum,” said McClure.

This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 9:17 AM.