Reality Check: Did a Myrtle Beach official ‘screw’ up city? US congressman thinks so

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In a contentious social media exchange, Myrtle Beach’s United States congressional representative accused a former city official of “screwing up” the city.

Republican Representative Russell Fry wrote on Thursday that former Myrtle Beach city manager John Pedersen took in lots of money for the city during his employment without positive improvements to show for it.

Pedersen served as assistant city manager for 12 years before his six-year tenure as city manager. He retired in January 2021.

Fry levied the accusations in the comments section of his Wednesday Facebook post criticizing Democratic Congress members who refused to stand or clap for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

“WE ARE NOT THE SAME!” Fry wrote last week, catching the attention of former city employee Pedersen, who commented, “Thank God I am not one of you.”

That’s when Fry accused Pedersen of having “screwed up the City of Myrtle Beach” as city manager.

“You never met a revenue stream or tax you didn’t like. All that money yet poor results,” Fry responded. “Thankfully you’re gone and they can right the ship.”

Fry didn’t specify any particular revenue streams, taxes or poor results. The Sun News reached out to Fry’s office Monday for more details.

Meredith Denari, director of communications and creative services for the City of Myrtle Beach, said she was unaware of any new revenue streams or taxes implemented in Pedersen’s time as manager.

“Mr. Pedersen retired from the City of Myrtle Beach in early 2021, and any statements he makes on his personal Facebook page are his own and do not represent the city,” Denari said in an email. “After reviewing the posts, I do not see any specific allegations of financial mismanagement. That said, I am not aware of any mishandling of money.”

Pedersen seemed to refute Fry’s claims in a responding Facebook comment.

“...if you could direct my attention to the new taxes and revenue streams introduced during my tenure I would be quite interested,” wrote Pedersen. “I do recall approving a 5 cent increase of a can of Pepsi in city vending machines used by city employees, but otherwise my memory must be failing me.”

In a call Monday with The Sun News, Pedersen said he did recommend increasing the permit fee for new construction to benefit workforce housing, which Myrtle Beach City Council approved.

“Under South Carolina State law, a municipality can’t make up a tax on its own. There has to be some sort of legislative approval,” Pedersen told the Sun News. “So there certainly weren’t any new taxes.”

As for those “poor results,” Pedersen cited forming the Downtown revitalization project, approving a plan to increase city police officers, implementing the Real Time Crime Center, managing bike week crowds and addressing the impacts of the pandemic as successes in his time as city manager.

“It would be up to each individual to judge whether or not the results were poor or not,” said Pedersen. “I don’t feel that they were, but … [Fry] obviously has a different opinion.”