North Myrtle Beach homeowners would not see a city property tax hike this year if city leaders follow through with the spending plan they outlined this week.
The proposed budget covers the completion of the 18th Avenue North ocean outfall project and the Cherry Grove dredging project, expansion of the sports complex, construction of a new fire station, the hiring of new public safety personnel, a new camera system, pickle ball courts, pay raises for government employees and other improvements throughout the city, including road work in areas such as Champions Boulevard.
The city’s $174 million budget will be discussed at upcoming city council meetings and the plan must be approved by the start of the fiscal year on July 1.
Randy Wright, the city's finance director, said almost half of the city’s budget is for capital items such as road improvements.
“All of that is to improve the quality of life for the people here,” he said. “And that’s what we do as a government. We try to make every year better than the last year.”
The new fire station, Fire Station 7, will be located off Water Tower Road near S.C. 31 and could cost $8 million.
Fire trucks for the station have already been ordered, but it will take about three years for them to arrive, Wright said, so the station will likely not be utilized until after 2025.
The proposed budget would also allow for six more police officers, 12 patrol cars, a city-wide camera system and a 5% pay raise for city employees.
As for recreation projects, the city plans to put $25 million into improving the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex and $1 million into new pickle ball courts.
Council members also discussed expanding the aquatics center near city hall, but the proposed budget does not cover it. The expansion would cost $16 million.
Wright said the aquatic center is not making the city any money, but it’s still beloved by residents with about 5,000 members.
Construction of the North Myrtle Beach Emergency Operations Center near the sports complex is another topic council discussed this week, but the funds for it are not there. It would cost $30 million. The city announced plans to construct an EOC on Champions Boulevard about three years ago, though those plans have not come to fruition.
“The North Myrtle Beach Emergency Operations Center is being designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. The North Myrtle Beach EOC was approved four years ago prior to the pandemic and prior to inflation," said city spokesman Donald Graham. "The City of North Myrtle Beach is still planning on construction but stopped the bidding process at the suggestion of the architects because of supply chain issues and inflationary costs.”
There should be four city council meetings before July 1 when the new budget plan would take effect. These meetings are where locals can voice their opinions on the spending plan. The agendas for these meetings have not been published yet.
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