Two candidates running for North Myrtle Beach mayor talk I-73, budget priorities
Two candidates vying for the mayor’s seat in North Myrtle Beach met to talk about their platforms weeks ahead of the November election.
Last week, Destination North Myrtle Beach hosted the forum for mayoral candidates to share their concerns and priorities with voters.
Wayne Troutman is challenging Mayor Marilyn Hatley, who is running for reelection. She has served in the role for five terms.
The nonpartisan election is Nov. 2.
Who’s running?
Hatley has lived in the city for decades but is from Albemarle, N.C. She is a certified cosmetology teacher and owns Visible Designs, Inc., according to her bio on the city’s webiste. Shee is a member of numerous boards, including the Horry County League of Cities and the South Carolina Beach Advocates.
Troutman is originally from Concord, N.C. but moved to North Myrtle Beach in 2016. He is a retired businessman and a U.S. Army veteran, according to his campaign page. He was a member of the Microelectronics Center for North Carolina, the Judicial Standards Committee and the Blue Ribbon Commission to study transportation needs.
Where do candidates stand on key issues?
What are your top priorities?
Hatley said she wants to focus on infrastructure, public safety, managing growth and keeping North Myrtle a family destination.
“We will continue to support our public safety in every way that we possibly can,” Hatley said. “We give them the tools and the finances that they need to keep our city safe.”
She added her relationships with local and state officials will be beneficial in ensuring the city gets the support they need to improve its infrastructure.
Troutman also said he is concerned about growth due to its effect on the city’s infrastructure and traffic. He also mentioned The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach, saying the building is in really bad shape and needs to be revisited.
“They need help,” he said. “The conditions here are really bad for the animals and for the workers.”
What is your vision for the city in the next 10 or 20 years?
Troutman said he wants to “make North Myrtle Beach more costly for our businesses and to make it easier for visitors to find what they need in the city.”
He also wants to improve the city’s transportation issues and protect its natural resources.
Hatley said she wants to focus on sports tourism and expand the city’s complex. She wants to keep beaches pristine
“The city of North Myrtle Beach provided our children with a place that they could go, and they could learn all kinds of sports,” she said. “Iit has been a tremendous advantage to all the families here.”
Do you support I-73?
Hatley supports any roads that will help move traffic in and out. But she maintains there are other roadways that need to be widened and completed.
“I think it’s a much needed interstate,’‘ Hatley said. “Anytime you can bring an interstate into your community, it’s a plus. Not only for an evacuation route but also to diversify your economy.”
Troutman does not think the interstate project is a good idea for the city right now but said it would be helpful down the road.
“Our infrastructure will not handle the additional traffic,” We need to take two, three or four years to change that, so we can handle the additional traffic.”
How would you involve businesses in policy discussions?
Hatley said business owners already have ample amounts of opportunities to get involved and share input during council meetings, workshops and planning committee meetings.
“When we are doing any studies within the city, we include businesses and residents alike,” she said. “Also, I have formed committees many times and included businesses [that have made] major decisions.”
She pointed to the Recovery Task Force, which included representatives from every business, that focused on getting businesses back up and running during COVID-19.
Troutman said his business experience will help him bridge the gap between businesses and the city.
“I think we need to start with setting up a committee of business [owners] to represent the businesses,” he said. “When there is a problem or there is an issue, have someone that can come to the city manager or the city council.”
What are the city’s biggest challenges?
Hatley said the top issues in the city are growth, poor infrastructure and parking.
“We’re seeing the influx of growth here, and it’s affecting our infrastructure, which is the next problem,” she said. “There’s a great need for our roads to be widened.”
She added that the city has been making efforts to pursue more parking opportunities. They have been looking for property in Crescent Beach and Ocean Drive to add more parking, she added.
Growth, traffic, infrastructure and transportation are the main issues, Troutman said, adding that they all work together.
“We have got to get a grasp on the local traffic,” he said. “We need to do it now. The growth is going to come. It’s going to happen. It has to happen, but we have to be ready for it by preparing our infrastructure now.”
What are your budget priorities?
Troutman would focus on funding departments that fall under public safety, including the police force.
“Those are critical issues to me that will need to be looked at and addressed to see how we can help them be more effective,” he said.
Hatley wants to focus more on the sports complex, which will be adding more fields and an entertainment area.
“When we are finished, we will be able to host all of the large events, and some major national events will be able to come to our city and be a part of our community,” she said. “ ...It will grow our sports programs for our local children.”
Her other priorities include: the emergency operation center and the stormwater drainage project, which removes the drainage from beaches.
She said the EOC, which will have a fire station, will “be a center that will house our database and will have a place for staff to go during major hurricanes.”
“We do not have a place at this time that will withstand a category five hurricane,” Hatley said. “We must prepare for storms and the future.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2021 at 5:00 AM.