Author: Paul Gable

Coast RTA Resolution Delayed

Coast RTA CEO Myers Rollins asked Horry County Council to delay voting on a resolution to approve releasing the FY 2014 fourth quarter payment, by the county to Coast RTA, of just over $263,000.

Rollins’ request was to allow Coast RTA more time to further act on attempting to change state law so that the composition of its board of directors would more accurately reflect the grant contributions of local governments.

Rollins told council of actions Coast RTA officials have made over the last several weeks to attempt to effect a change in its board population.

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Resolutions Will Spice Up Horry County Council Meeting

July is normally a quiet time for local government, but Horry County Council will consider two resolutions at its regular July 16, 2013 meeting that could include a bit of controversy.

One resolution tells Huffman Helicopters, Inc. that the county does not intend to agree to a renewal of the November 1, 2008 lease agreement between the county and the company. This is the lease agreement under which Huffman Helicopters operates its tourist helicopter rides out of a corner of the Myrtle Beach International Airport property.

The noise of helicopter sight-seeing rides conducted by both Huffman Helicopters and Helicopter Adventure have been the source of increasing complaints from residents of neighborhoods negatively affected by noise from the operations.

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Horry County Council Needs Counsel

It has become increasingly apparent over the last several months that Horry County Council needs to contract an independent attorney to provide it with legal counsel and guidance exclusively.

The need was uniquely demonstrated during council’s Administration Committee meeting July 12th.

During that meeting, committee members discussed a resolution to be considered by full council at its regular meeting Tuesday July 16,
2013. The resolution states council does not intend to extend its current lease at Myrtle Beach International Airport with Huffman Helicopters.

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SCGOP In-Fighting

Nikki Haley and her Dead Voters

The Columbia Free Times reported last week that the claim of Gov. Nikki Haley that dead persons were voting in South Carolina elections was completely unfounded.

Of the 957 deceased voters Gov. Nikki Haley alleged voted in statewide elections, exactly none have been verified.

After 18 months of investigation, SLED issued a 500 page report last week finding no evidence that anyone cast a ballot in the name of a dead person.

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Opponents Hit Out at Curtis Loftis

Opponents of S.C. Treasurer Curtis Loftis are trying to discredit the settlement he reached recently with Bank of New York Mellon over past investments directed by the bank.

Loftis said the overall value of the settlement is over $100 million. S.C. Retirement Systems Investment Commission chairman Reynolds Williams called it “measly.”

This is another round in the ongoing battle between Loftis and Reynolds. Shortly after Loftis took office in January 2011, Williams tried to smear Loftis with allegations he was involved in a pay to play scheme with potential investment brokers.

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Coast RTA Meetings

Two meetings will be held today that will look to how Coast RTA will be conducting its operations in the future.

The first will be at 10:30 a.m. at the Coast RTA board room where Coast RTA officials will meet with members of the Horry County legislative delegation, a Georgetown County representative and several members of Horry County council.

The purpose of the morning meeting is to investigate changes in state law to provide Horry County more representation on the Coast RTA board in line with its local grant contributions to the Coast RTA budget.

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SC Pension Fund Woes

A recent report released by two Maryland public policy think tanks lists SC pension fund at the top of the list of 10 states paying the most money management fees over the last five years.

The report by the Maryland Public Policy Institute and Maryland Tax Education Foundation looked at average fees paid versus average investment return for fiscal years 2008-2012 inclusive.

South Carolina paid the most fees across the study span with an average of 1.3% of pension fund assets. For that, South Carolina’s average rate of return over the five years was 1.5%, according to the study.

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Grounding Helicopter Amusement Rides

Horry County Council will consider a resolution at its July 16, 2013 regular meeting calling for non-renewal of the lease with Huffman Helicopters at Myrtle Beach International Airport with a view to stopping helicopter amusement rides from that location.

The resolution will notify Huffman Helicopter that the county does not intend to renew its current lease for the Myrtle Beach International location when the lease runs out on October 31, 2013.

Huffman Helicopters has a maintenance shop location at Myrtle Beach International and a helicopter amusement ride at Grand Strand Airport in North Myrtle Beach that will not be affected by the resolution.

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Where is Fourth of July Spirit?

In case you forgot, today is the Fourth of July, which is also known as Independence Day.
You remember that holiday, don’t you? It’s the day when Libertarians, Democrats, Republicans and Independents all shoot off fireworks, beat our chests about how we are devout lovers of the Declaration of Independence and talk about all the great works that our Founding Fathers did in 1775 and 1776 to put a new country on the path to being great.

However, this July 4th, I have to admit, I feel more like Frederick Douglass did in 1852 when he spoke about what July 4th means to the Negro in Rochester, New York, than I do of a proud American. I know, I shouldn’t find myself asking questions like: “Is this the land your Fathers loved, The freedom which they toiled to win? Is this the earth whereon they moved? Are these the graves they slumber in?”

I know I shouldn’t be wondering what to the American slave is your Fourth of July. I know I should be jumping for joy that (at least in the minds of a few), America is the super power nation that doesn’t take any crap from anyone, including one of its own citizens who released information.

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Coast RTA Budget, Horry County and Communication

The controversy generated by a county budget amendment regarding a Coast RTA revenue grant, added during third reading of the Fiscal Year 2014 county budget, appears to be the result of lack of communication between county and Coast RTA officials.

A two hour meeting with Coast RTA officials last week revealed how the potential loss of a county payment to Coast RTA of $263,758, for the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2014, would result in a total loss to Coast RTA of $599,733.

The potential loss of the county grant payment costs Coast RTA an additional $236,523 in matching federal funds, $50,000 in ad revenue and $49,460 in lost passenger fares from two routes that will be cut, Entertainment Express and Airport to Ocean Boulevard. The Coast RTA budget, submitted to the Federal Transportation Authority must reflect these potential cuts.

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