COASTAL OBSERVER

County Council members are working on a compromise to fund additional patrol deputies in the budget that comes up for final approval next week, addressing what Sheriff Carter Weaver called “a public safety crisis in the county.”

He asked the council last month to raise property taxes to hire eight patrol deputies, renewing a request he first made in 2021 with the goal of adding 26 patrol deputies by 2026.

“We’re trying to come up with a compromise,” Council Member Clint Elliott said. 

He wasn’t sure it would result in eight deputies. There is also pressure on council to increase fire and emergency medical pay and services, Elliott said.

As candidates last year, he and Stella Mercado wrote an op-ed that acknowledged the need for additional deputies and said “we support the sheriff’s efforts and pledge to work together, if elected, to get the plan passed.”

Mercado declined to comment on the budget discussions because the details haven’t been worked out.

Council Member Bob Anderson also declined to comment, although he confirmed that there is discussion among his colleagues.

Weaver faced off with council members at a budget workshop last month, taking the stage at Howard Auditorium to say the council needed to make “hard decisions” about funding public safety.

Since then, Weaver said he has only heard from one council member, Everett Carolina, who asked about law enforcement for the town of Andrews.  No one has contacted him about his budget proposal.

What has changed, Weaver said is that other jurisdictions have raised pay for first responders, making his estimate of what it will take to hire and retain deputies low.

“Every jurisdiction around us has seen significant increases in what they pay law enforcement,” Weaver said.

In addition to the minimum pay raise of $2,000 for public safety workers included in the county budget, Weaver is going to draw on his reserves to give sworn officers a $4,000 raise. That will cost $299,000.

“That’s what it’s going to take,” Weaver said. “I’m the elected sheriff. It’s my duty to recruit and retain professional police services, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

His focus is now on increasing the number of patrol deputies for the first time in 17 years. As part of the budget, the number of personnel is authorized for each department is approved by the council. There are currently 75 patrol deputies.

The county has a separate tax rate for law enforcement. It proposes to raise that by 9.15 percent, the maximum allowed under a state law that limits local government’s ability to raise taxes to the combination of population growth and the change in the federal Consumer Price Index.

To fund the additional deputies, Weaver has proposed that the county raise its general fund tax rate by an extra 2 mills and dedicate the money to law enforcement. (A mill equals $1 in tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value.)

The proposed budget for fiscal 2024 already includes a 2 mill increase, but it has the ability to raise taxes an extra 2.85 mills under the state law. That would cover the $1.17 million cost of the deputies and their equipment, primarily vehicles.

“That’s just to begin to fill the void that has been left by council by them not increasing manpower in the sheriff’s office over 17 years,” Weaver said. “It doesn’t fill the void.”

To do that, Weaver said the county has to change the way it funds its emergency services. “This isn’t a pigeon hole issue. It’s a public safety crisis within the county,” he said.

Elliott said he understands the problem the county has competing for staff, but he pointed out that the budget for the city of North Myrtle Beach is larger than the Georgetown County budget. The county needs to find ways to raise revenue, he said.

Weaver will wait to see what the council comes up with.

“I don’t have any expectations. Council was elected to make these type decisions. I’m going to sit back with the majority of citizens in the county and see what they’re willing to do,” he said.

The final reading of the budget is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Howard Auditorium in Georgetown. The meeting was moved from the council chambers because of on-going problems with the air conditioning, according to county staff.

Update: On Monday, the sheriff’s office will host a “listening session” in Murrells Inlet to get public input on the recent Bike Week, Marsh Walk tourism and other issues. It starts at 5:30 p.m. at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church.