Myrtle Beach proposed budget includes tax increase

Taxes and utility fees may be on the rise in Myrtle Beach.

The city manager’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in July, includes a 4 percent increase in property taxes. The hike equates to an extra $24 a year for a $200,000 home.

The increase would raise an estimated $1 million to give across-the-board raises and merit raises to employees, who for several years have had salary adjustments that have not kept pace with the cost of inflation, according to city leaders.

“Without salary recognition for admirable service good employees will leave or become unhappy and their service to our citizens will be compromised,” councilman Phil Render said after the night’s meeting.

“We’re not asking to raise any debt service millage this year,” Michelle Shumpert, the city’s budget and evaluation director told the group.

The $191 million budget plan also includes an increase in water and sewer rates from 3 to 5.6 percent depending on usage. The smallest rate hike would apply to single family homes and the lowest water and sewer users, adding less than a dollar a month to an inside city customer’s water and sewer bill.

No other fee changes are currently included in the recommended budget, but the proposed financial plan document warns “several fee changes will be presented for implementation during the coming year.”

This story was originally published April 13, 2016 at 8:57 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach proposed budget includes tax increase."