Carolina Forest could vote to split from Horry County in 2024. What needs to happen

Carolina Forest residents could decide by next year whether their sprawling community should split from Horry County and become its own city, although many questions remain unanswered about how much the move would cost and what services it would bring.

“If we’re responsible, if we care about the future, we can change the landscape of what Carolina Forest will look look within a couple of years, but until then we’re at the whims of what the county council wants to do,” homeowner Kevin Kiely said.

Carolina Forest is already the size of a large South Carolina city with a population of more than 23,000. But it sits entirely within Horry County, preventing local governance on issues from zoning to public safety and traffic control.

Organizers of the incorporation effort are using Carolina Forest’s 18-square-mile boundary as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau for its calculations.

About 20,000 people live in that area, meaning 3,000 signatures in support of incorporation need to be gathered before state lawmakers consider the request.

“People who live here need to make decisions about what this place is going to look like in 20 years,” said Norm Fay, a former Carolina Forest Civic Association member who’s been spearheading informational sessions around the idea.

The petition drive hasn’t yet begun, but there’s still time to make the November 2024 ballot.

What’s needed to become incorporated in SC?

Should the S.C. Secretary of State and a joint legislative committee approve an incorporation proposal, a special election is required between 20 and 90 days of its ruling.

A 2005 state law is the blueprint communities must follow on their quest for autonomy.

Lawmakers set a high bar to ensure residents in newly formed communities aren’t being underserved when compared to their neighbors.

Here’s a look at the guidelines:

• Incorporated areas must have at least 300 people per square mile.
• At least 15 percent of qualified electors in the would-be city must petition for incorporation.
• No part of the incorporated area can be within five miles of an already established city or town unless it has a population of at least 7,000.
• Feasibility studies must be submitted to and approved by the Secretary of State after legislative review.
• Incorporated areas must directly provide or contract for law enforcement while also providing at least three other core services. That could include fire protection, solid waste collection, planning and zoning, code enforcement and storm water collection.
• The services must be implemented within three years of incorporation.

Doug Hess, who moved into Carolina Forest 13 years ago from New Jersey, won’t be among those putting his name to the effort.

“Anyone who’s for it needs a check-up from the neck up,” he said. “Taxes wouldn’t be able to support the living standards we have now and would just go sky high for services we’re getting for free.”

Newly released economic impact data provided to Fay by Horry County Assessor Larry Roscoe shows Carolina Forest’s financial clout. Properties within its 18-square-mile radius have a total market value of $4.2 billion, providing nearly $40 million worth of revenues to the county.

In 2017, Carolina Forest generated about $17 million worth of tax revenues, according to a study commissioned that year by the civic association.

“To me, that’s kind of the elephant in the room. If we’re not getting our share of county revenue or county support, than I don’t know what the benefit would be” of incorporation, Carolina Forest resident Bob Akers said.

This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 6:00 AM.