Author: Paul Gable

Coast RTA Funding Up Against Tight County Budget

Horry County’s funding for Coast RTA could be more affected by a tight county budget than by the current controversy the agency is embroiled in with SCDOT over Coast RTA’s cancelled sign and shelter project among other differences.

County staff had to cut $750,000 for dirt road paving from the budget just to present a preliminary balanced budget to county council at the council’s budget retreat this week. Coast RTA funding remained at $1.055 million in the preliminary budget.

Cutting dirt road funding has serious impacts on the citizens of at least five council districts, all of which have little to no bus service. Additionally, it has lesser impacts on five more council districts that do have some level of bus service.

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Sherrie Todd Running for School Board District Two

Myrtle Beach native Sherrie Todd is a Republican candidate for Horry County School Board District Two.

“I was born and raised in Myrtle Beach knee deep in sand,” said Todd.

After graduating from Myrtle Beach High School, Todd graduated from the Beaux Art College of Cosmetology. Immediately upon receiving her license, Todd and her mother established La Petite Styling Salon, the oldest surviving beauty salon in Myrtle Beach.

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Coast RTA Special Committee Second Meeting

The second meeting of the Special Committee on Coast RTA confirmed there is fault to be shared among several agencies when investigating why the bus sign and shelter project was not completed.

When Coast RTA received a $1 million grant through the Waccamaw Council of Governments, the Federal Highway Administration provided the funds. However, SCDOT administered the grant as if the funds came from the Federal Transportation Administration. FHWA and FTA have different requirements for how grant funds are administered.

Despite submitting 13 invoices for reimbursement from the FHWA, through the first few years of the project, SCDOT continued to administer by FTA regulations.

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Jeff Johnson in House District 58 Race

A native of Conway and longtime attorney in the local area, Jeff Johnson is a candidate for the S.C. House District 58 seat.

Johnson has deep roots in District 58, having graduated from Conway High School and Coastal Carolina University before establishing his law practice in Conway after graduating from Mississippi College Law School in Jackson, Mississippi.

“I grew up in the district, have a lot of family and friends in the district and believe I understand the needs of the residents of the district,” Johnson said. “Helping people has been my life’s work and I want to continue to help the people of my community as the representative for House District 58.”

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Candace Howell Seeking County District Eight Seat

Candace Howell came to Horry County in 2002 to begin her career in broadcast television news. Twelve years later, she is still here and loving every minute of it.

“I moved here after graduating from college believing I would fulfill my contract and move on,” said Howell. “But, I fell in love with Horry County. I love the people. There are so many great people here.”

Growing up in upstate New York, Howell said she was always inquisitive.

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Helping Our Combat Veterans

The events at Ft. Hood yesterday only serve to highlight what a terrible job we are doing as a nation to help our veterans deal with the trauma of combat.

The killings at Ft. Hood will draw several days of headlines, many dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, then, be forgotten as the news cycle changes.

But the problem remains and the numbers are startling.

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Gingrich, Myrtle Beach, Oil and Interstates

Beach Tent Ban Passes Second Reading

An ordinance establishing a year around ban on beach tents on the unincorporated beaches of Horry County easily passed second reading last night.

By a 10-1 vote, Horry County has come to within final reading of banning all sun shielding devices except beach umbrellas with a maximum diameter of seven and one-half feet.

When final reading passes, Horry County will join Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach in making Grand Strand beaches generally free of beach tents. Only Surfside Beach, Atlantic Beach and the state park have yet to join their larger neighbors in a beach tent ban.

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Bureaucracy to prevail at expense of the taxpayer

Local Governments Asking General Assembly to Obey the Law

Counties and municipalities throughout South Carolina are again asking the General Assembly to obey state law with respect to the local government fund in the state’s general fund budget.

State law Section 6-27-30 requires the General Assembly to put 4.5% of the previous year’s base general fund revenue into the local government fund in the upcoming fiscal year budget.

But, the General Assembly has not fully funded the local government fund since 2008 – in violation of state law.

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Horry County Candidate Filings

It will be an active primary season in Horry County as 11 contested Republican nominations, within the county, will keep voters occupied throughout the spring.

That’s even before you begin to consider statewide primaries where only Attorney General Alan Wilson and Secretary of State Mark Hammond are without primary opponents.

There are no contested Democratic primaries for countywide candidates in the June primaries. Republican candidates not listed below do not have opposition.

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Coast RTA Board Member Asked to Resign

Coast RTA board member Katharine D’Angelo reported via email Thursday night to the other seven members of the board that she was asked to resign her position as a board member.

According to D’Angelo’s email, the request came out of a meeting between board members Ivory Wilson and Joseph Lazzara and unnamed members of the Coast RTA senior staff.

D’Angelo reported in her email that she had no intention of resigning from the board, a position she has held for 14 years through appointment by the North Myrtle Beach City Council.

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