Tag: food trucks

Team Horry Self Imploding as Primary Voting Nears

(Above picture represents Team Horry campaigns teetering)

Team Horry, the self-styled moniker by which a few of the Horry County Council members up for reelection this year like refer to themselves, appears in complete disarray a little over one week before primary voting.

It started as a plan for council members to appear as a group on opening day to file candidate papers together followed by a press conference of mutual support and praise for the ‘great’ job they are doing.

That plan never quite came together and it started a trend of events never quite coming off as planned throughout this primary season.

A seemingly insurmountable obstacle for team togetherness occurred several days ago when Horry County Council Vice Chairman Bill Howard went toe-to-toe with Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune over plans the city has for food trucks during the summer tourist season.

Howard, a local restaurateur in real life, lectured the mayor that he believes the food trucks will negatively impact business at his restaurants.

The result of the confrontation was the following post by Bethune on Facebook:

“I am human and far from perfect. I try to communicate with others in a way that makes them feel respected and safe. Today I was truly disheartened by the disrespectful tone and threat that was issued to me by the vice chair of our County Council. He represents EVERYONE in this County and as an elected official should practice civil communication in all matters. May I never think so highly of myself that I try to make others feel low. Here’s an idea: we all need to show mutual respect to each other in order to work together for the greater good of those we serve.”

Howard represents Horry County Council District 2, which includes the City of Myrtle Beach north end beginning at 38th Avenue North. This area happens to include the core of voters who catapulted Bethune to election as mayor last November.

It is also the home district of county council chairman Mark Lazarus.

As Shakespeare would say – “Therein lies the rub.”

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Food Trucks and Horry County Council

(Ed. Note: The following article on food trucks was sent to Grand Strand Daily from Steven Hoffman, Horry County Republican Party Executive Committee member for Burgess 1 voting precinct. Hoffman visits his son in Austin, Texas approximately twice a year. After seeing the possibilities opened with food trucks in that Texas city, Hoffman believes Horry County could have done a better job licensing this growing industry.)

Food trucks, the latest trend in consumer drive markets. Horry County Council – Ho-Hum.

Consumers in Austin, Texas were first introduced to the food truck phenomena in 2010 primarily in the South Congress Street area.

Since that time the food truck entrepreneurs have widened their scope and some of the more successful ones have even opened brick and mortar stores, for example, Chi-lantro. Today the residents of Austin have the option of eating, Thai, Tex-Mex, Korean, Middle Eastern, Fusion, and other types of food in this culinary heaven of a wide mix of restaurants and food trucks throughout the city.

For the people of Austin, Texas, the food trucks bring increased employment (economic growth) and provide gastronomic diversity (more choices). Isn’t that what America is supposed to be all about? Well, maybe not.

Here on the Grand Strand – the county council recently authorized food trucks, but in a limited scope.

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