No property tax increase for North Myrtle Beach, but city may expand sports complex, improve infrastructure
North Myrtle Beach residents may not have to worry about a property tax increase for the next fiscal year but might still see major multi-year projects addressing infrastructure and facility upgrades.
The proposed $122.6 million budget does not include increases for water and sewer rates.
One project that could come out of the next budget is Phase I of the 18th Avenue North Ocean Outfall, which will cost the city $9 million. Construction for the $14.5 million-total project will begin in the fall, if the budget is accepted, and will be paid for with stormwater fees totaling $7 million and $2 million in grant money from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. The $5.5 million Phase II of the project would occur in fall 2022 and would be part of 2023 fiscal year budget. The project was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another key project listed in the proposed budget is the 96-acre expansion of the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex, a $36 million initiative that would cost the city $21 million for the next fiscal year. The $21 million portion of the multi-year project would be paid for by property taxes, which will amount to $3.6 million a year for six years and $2.4 million a year for six years with local hospitality fees. Like the outfall, this project was delayed due to COVID-19.
Proposed updates to sports complex:
- More baseball and softball fields
- More soccer and lacrosse fields
- Family Entertainment Center (arcade, birthday party rooms, Splash Park and multiple dining areas)
- Improve The Great Christmas Light Show, including expanding it for another mile, making it a 3-mile show
The budget also mentions $11 million price tag for the construction of an Emergency Operations Center, Data Center and fire station. If approved, the project will be constructed west of the Intracoastal Waterway and will be paid for with the local accommodation tax. The project is expected to cost a total of $23 million and will take a couple of years to complete.
A $31 million general obligation bond will be used to pay for the emergency operations center and the park expansion. The term of that bond is six years.
Other proposed projects for fiscal year 2022:
- $1.75 million to place utilities underground in Cherry Grove as part of the continuing Santee Cooper underground utilities project, which was delayed due to COVID-19
- $3.75 million in large water and sewer projects, which was delayed due to COVID-19
Pat Dowling, a city spokesman, said North Myrtle Beach is financially healthy, even after the pandemic.
“The city is in good shape,” he said. “It has a higher than required fund balance and no tax increase.”
Dowling said that having a high fund balance is good because it allows essential services to continue in case an emergency happens and revenue stops coming into the city. The year end general fund balance will be about $13 million. Revenue for the general fund is made up mostly of tax money and license and permit fees, which is spent on public safety and capital projects.
City officials discussed the proposed budget last month. The two-day retreat was held at Santee Cooper’s Wampee Conference Center in Pinopolis, S.C., which is about two hours from North Myrtle Beach.
Dowling said council members had ample amount of opportunity to discuss the proposed budget with the public. He added moving the retreat to Pinopolis gives city officials an “undistracted opportunity to focus on the budget.”
“Many of them are involved in businesses, and there’s no opportunity for them to be called away to their businesses during budget discussions, if they’re two hours away in Pinopolis where there’s no nightlife or anything just a conference room,” Dowling said of council members.
The first reading of the budget is set for June 7. There must be two readings of the budget before it is approved. The fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30.
This story was originally published June 4, 2021 at 6:59 AM.