Author: Paul Gable

Coast RTA Funding in Jeopardy

Funding for Coast RTA was almost removed from the Horry County budget for next fiscal year during last week’s Horry County Council budget retreat.

A motion to remove funding from Coast RTA was made and seconded and was only stopped by the intervention of council chairman Mark Lazarus.

Lazarus convinced his fellow council members the most recent Coast RTA update on its funding agreement with Horry County should be heard by the Administration Committee before a vote to remove the agency funding is considered.

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Grand Strand Daily and SC Hotline Merge

Grand Strand Daily and SC Hotline have merged into one internet publication.

Paul Gable will be providing the editorial content for the joint publication while Jeffrey Sewell will be handling the technical aspects of the operation.

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Changes Coming in Horry County Police Funding?

If Horry County budget discussions are any indication, it appears changes will be made in the way the Horry County Police Department is funded.

That appears to be the sentiment of a majority of council members after this week’s Horry County Council budget retreat.

The exact change is not certain at this time, but the establishment of a special tax district in the

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Discouraging Atlantic Beach Bikefest Attendance

It seems the City of Myrtle Beach is well on its way to discouraging future participation in the Atlantic Beach Bikefest over Memorial Day weekend.

A reduction in the size of the crowd may not be noticeable this year, but with the use of some of the city’s new toys, the message will be sent back control is a lot tighter.

Local media has reported what has been termed hi-tech additions to equipment available to police since last year, as well as the 23-mile traffic loop and one way chute down Ocean Boulevard.

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S.C. Senate Committee Hearing on Roads

The S.C. Senate Finance Committee will hold a meeting March 24th on a roads bill sponsored by committee member Sen. Ray Cleary.

The bill, S.523, proposes increase a number of taxes and fees to pay for the road maintenance while also proposing to force counties to take control of approximately 50 percent of the roads currently maintained by SCDOT.

As with a bill currently making its way through the S.C. House, Cleary’s bill proposes to disband current County Transportation Committees and re-establish them with a new procedure for appointing members.

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S.C. General Assembly Continues Funding Attacks

The S.C. General Assembly continues to move forward with impunity on bills that will cause funding problems for local governments around the state.

H.3374, which deals with the local government fund, has already passed the House and lies in the Senate Finance Committee awaiting action.

The local government fund, now proposed to be renamed the Local Government Revenue Sharing Fund, ostensibly returns a portion of state revenue to counties to help pay for state mandated offices. These include courts, solicitors, magistrates, public defenders, election commission, DSS, county health departments and the like.

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Horry County Council and Police Funding

One of the most important items Horry County Council will study at its budget retreat next week is future funding for the Horry County Police Department.

Council chairman Mark Lazarus recently directed county staff to study the possibility of establishing a special purpose tax district for police funding, similar to the method in which the Horry County Fire Department is funded.

The results of that study are expected to be ready for the Horry County Council budget retreat.

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Punishing Citizens for FOIA Requests

The S.C. House has possibly outdone even itself with a bill that would punish citizens for making FOIA requests.

H.3191 is this beauty and it has already passed from the House to the Senate in its progress to becoming law.

Provisions in the law would allow public agencies to take legal action against citizens who make “overly broad” or “unduly burdensome” requests for public records.

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Waste Stream Diversion and the HCSWA

The HCSWA (Horry County Solid Waste Authority) will begin an intensified study of diversion of its waste stream in the upcoming fiscal year.

The first step in this study will be the inclusion of $50,000 in the HCSWA budget for a detailed study of the components of Horry County’s municipal solid waste (MSW) stream.

When that study is completed, it is anticipated the HCSWA will issue some type of request for companies interested in being involved in this diversion process to respond.

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The Strength (?) of Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham took his Strength Through Security presidential exploratory act to New Hampshire last week playing relatively well, according to media.

However, reading one quote he gave to the Concord City Republican Committee, one has to wonder just how far Graham is willing to go with the strength part.

According to the Concord Monitor, the local paper, Graham demanded restoration of defense spending cuts.

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