NMB A-tax money not enough to cover beach renourishment
In his March 9 letter to the editor, Murrells Inlet resident George Wilberg states that accommodations tax (A-Tax) revenue collected in North Myrtle Beach “must” be used for “maintenance of beaches and oceanfront access-way.” He then asks, “Where’s the beef (money) for our beaches?” The incorrect assumption is that the city is collecting huge amounts of money from A-Tax revenue annually and is able to squirrel it all away for beach nourishment.
A-Tax revenue can be used for beach-related purposes, and to improve beach access, but the law also allows the city to use the revenue to meet increased costs placed on services, equipment and systems by tourism. For example, some police and fire/rescue salary supplements and overtime are paid for using A-Tax revenue, as is some of the equipment necessary for public safety personnel to perform their jobs.
In North Myrtle Beach, the public works, parks and grounds, athletics, recreation, beach services, support services and other departments and/or divisions also utilize A-Tax revenue to greater and lesser degrees in order to help meet the service, equipment and other demands that tourism places on their operations.
In North Myrtle Beach, A-Tax revenue collection amounts to about $4 million annually. State law requires that 30 percent of that revenue go to paid tourism advertising using a designated agency, which in our case is the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. The city may use the remainder of annual A-Tax revenue to help ease the $29 million annual impact that tourism has on the provision of city services.
A-Tax revenue is by no means the windfall for beach nourishment funding that Mr. Wilberg would like it to be. That is why North Myrtle Beach, just like other jurisdictions in Horry County, is always on the hunt for more beef (money) with which to pay for big ticket items, such as much-needed emergency beach nourishment.
Dowling is the public information officer for the city of North Myrtle Beach.
This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 9:20 PM with the headline "NMB A-tax money not enough to cover beach renourishment."