Saturday, November 16, 2024
Several sources have told us Horry County Public Safety Director Paul Whitten has resigned his position today effective immediately.
However, a back story is also being circulated that Whitten’s leaving was at the choice of the county. According to that story, Whitten was given the choice of resigning or being terminated.
According to our sources, a major catalyst to Whitten’s departure was lack movement on planning for next year’s Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Bikefest.
The RIDE III Committee had its opening meeting yesterday marking the first move toward a possible November 2016 ballot referendum for new road projects funded by a one-cent local sales tax.
The committee will take the next year or so considering possible road projects to include in the referendum with public meetings included on its future agenda.
One thing to remember is the committee is purely advisory.
Once the committee finalizes a list of possible projects, the list will be sent as recommendations to a six-member RIDE III Commission.
Horry County voters will have no advisory referendums on the November 2014 general election ballot asking for additional taxes to be levied on county residents.
Last week it looked as if Horry County voters would get to register their advice on whether to raise millage to help fund the Waccamaw Center for Mental Health services.
The Waccamaw Center for Mental Health is a state designated agency that is underfunded by the General Assembly.
Recently released reports of a Federal Transportation Authority inspection of Coast RTA highlight the problems inherent in a multi-jurisdictional authority that spends public money.
The FTA inspection occurs every three years. In 2011, the FTA inspection noted four “findings” of problems at Coast RTA. The 2014 inspection listed 17 “findings. The two most problematic findings are the bus fleet and maintenance shop are literally falling apart.
Those inspection results are noteworthy because Horry County increased its funding of Coast RTA from approximately $400,000 to $1.06 million in the fiscal year beginning July 2011.
Horry County Council is considering asking the county’s voters advice on long term funding for Waccamaw Center for Mental Health.
A state created organization, the state has failed in its obligation to provide all the needed funding for the center.
Sen. Ray Cleary (R-Dist.34) spoke to the Horry County Council Administration Committee last Friday outlining a possible referendum question for county voters to consider in the November 2014 general election.
The HCSWA (Horry County Solid Waste Authority) Board of Directors spent several hours Thursday in a workshop to finalize changes to the agency’s bylaws.
One topic of discussion was how the dissolution of the authority will be handled, if it occurs. Actually, it’s not the board’s call.
Don’t you remember that county council recently passed an ordinance covering just that very situation?
Before the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation gets too involved in a search for a new CEO, Horry County Council should take a hard look at its funding of the agency.
Despite new names, reorganizations of the agency and increased funding from county council, there have been relatively few actual new jobs created over the last 20 years.
The Horry County Administration Committee is expected to receive its quarterly jobs update from the county’s grant administration department at its August 1, 2014 meeting. This will be a tally, by company, of the number of new jobs created, not announced or promised, but actual people drawing paychecks since departing EDC CEO Brad Lofton was first hired in April 2011.
One week after Gov. Nikki Haley visited PTR Industries to celebrate the company’s first anniversary of the announcement the company was relocating to Horry County, PTR Industries is laying off workers.
Touted as a ‘Hail Mary long ball’ attempt to boost sales, the Haley visit appears to have fallen short.
PTR Industries decided to relocate to Horry County after Connecticut, its former home, passed stricter new gun laws in the wake of the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.
It is time for Horry County Council to bring the Horry County Solid Waste Authority (HCSWA) more into line with the actual status of that agency.
Over the past six months, council has taken some good first steps toward establishing more control over its maverick authority on Hwy 90.
But, the work is not done.
Third reading of the Fiscal Year 2014-15 Horry County budget could provide some interesting viewing at tonight’s meeting of Horry County Council.
Central to the discussions will be a new funding agreement with Coast RTA, which will tighten council control over the money it provides Coast RTA, but not nearly to the extent that was called “overreaching” by several council members earlier this month.
Also of concern to some council members is the “hidden tax increase” included in the millage rollup associated with last year’s reassessment of property values throughout the county.
Property values showed a net decline due to the housing bubble bust several years ago and a slight increase in millage was needed to balance next year’s county budget.
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