‘It’s exciting:’ Marilyn Hatley elected to sixth term as North Myrtle Beach Mayor
Marilyn Hatley will lead North Myrtle Beach for another four years after Tuesday’s election, according to unofficial returns.
Hatley received 3,532 votes, defeating Wayne Troutman, who had 1,478 votes, according to the city. She has served in the role for five terms.
The longtime mayor was greeted by dozens of supporters packed inside of Midtown Bistro, all ready to congratulate her on the somewhat-expected win of a sixth term in office.
“It’s exciting,” Hatley told The Sun News. “So happy.”
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 website. She is a member of numerous boards, including the Horry County League of Cities and the South Carolina Beach Advocates.
Hatley has said her top priorities for the city consists of improving infrastructure, public safety, managing growth and keeping North Myrtle a family destination.
“We just have many, many projects,” Hatley said. “We’re seeing a lot of growth, a lot of growth, and so we got to make sure that our infrastructure is prepared and ready for the growth as we try to keep it a controlled quality.”
Her election to a new term comes as Democrats in Congress are potentially days away from passing a historic bipartisan infrastructure bill, which could support North Myrtle Beach’s plans to improve its existing infrastructure.
“Of course, if it passes, we’re going to work to get our share,” Hatley said.
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.
The top issues in the city Hatley previously said she would like to work on is 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 also said 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.
The Commission will meet at North Myrtle Beach City Hall at 10 a.m. on Thursday to certify the election and determine the validity of ballots challenged in the election.
Any runoff will be held two weeks after the election on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
