COASTAL OBSERVER

Of the 31 entities that requested accommodations tax grants from the county, 19 got less money than they asked for and eight got exactly what they asked for.

Three entities – Myrtle Beach Hospitality Association, Winyah Auditorium and Favour Corp. – received no money.

Accommodations tax funds are generated from the state’s 2 percent tax on short-term accommodations. The county has an accommodations tax advisory committee that reviews applications and makes funding recommendations to County Council, which has the final say on how the money is distributed.

This year the 31 requests totaled more than $2.7 million and available funds totaled $1.9 million.

Council only changed 10 of the committee’s recommendations. 

The committee recommended fully funding a request from the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District for $170,516 for its Marine Safety Initiative. Council approved $109,117.

The marine coverage runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thursday through Saturday.

Although the fire district requested $59,144 to expand its medical staffing during Bike Week, council approved a committee recommendation for $45,000.

Council approved a committee recommendation to cut a $638,828 request from the sheriff’s office to staff its beach patrol. Council approved $280,300. The funds will pay for two additional deputies. 

The balance was for vehicles, which the county wants to fund through its capital account.  

A request by Midway Fire Rescue for $153,901 to improve its water rescue response was fully funded.

Six groups – Brookgreen Gardens, Garden City Beach Community Association, Litchfield Beautification Foundation, Mainstreet Pawleys Beautification Committee, Murrells Inlet 2020 and Pawleys Island Highway Beautification Program – that maintain the median on Highway 17, including cutting the grass, were awarded $208,400.

The Garden City association was also awarded $7,000 for beach street lighting.

Council also approved maintenance funds for the Georgetown County Parks and Recreation Department ($120,000) to clean up beaches and the bike path; and Litchfield Beaches Property Owners Association ($97,000) to clean up the beach and its accesses. 

Although the City of Georgetown receives accommodations tax funds from the state and has its own process to award them, the county received eight requests for $163,463 to support events inside city limits. 

Nearly half of the $67,720 council approved ($30,420) went to Friendship Place for the annual Historic Georgetown Bridge2Bridge Run. 

County Council has been awarding accommodations tax funds to Friendship Place for years because on average, 40 percent of competitors in the race are from outside of the area.

County Council Chairman Clint Elliott said he was reluctant to fund city events.

“They shouldn’t be coming to the county,” he said. “They should be responsible for their own stuff.” 

As usual, the largest amount of funds ($740,000) was awarded to the county Chamber of Commerce for destination marketing. 

The chamber was also awarded $84,600 for tourism research.

The advisory committee recommended $65,000 for research even though they thought the research would help them figure out the impact of events on drawing people to the county. Council approved fully funding the request.

Elliot said he met with advisory committee members before the council meeting.

“They wanted to sit down and explain their thoughts,” he added.

Elliott said he also heard from “several people” who had their funding requests cut.