Tourism
County faces tough choices on accommodations tax requests
Now that they are done carving the turkey, members of the Georgetown County Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee will go to work this week slicing nearly $2.8 million in grant requests to fit the $1.9 million in available funds.
“It’s always a challenge,” said Drew Streett, who was elected chairman of the committee this month before it began hearing from groups that put in 31 requests for a share of the county’s revenue from the 2 percent state tax on short-term rentals.
The largest portion of the requests, over $1 million, is for public safety initiatives from the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, Midway Fire Rescue and the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Department.
The sheriff’s office wants $638,828 to increase the size of its beach patrol from two to four deputies. Its request was cut last year to $166,514.
The request includes two pickup trucks and two side-by-side utility vehicles. Streett questioned if those purchases could be spread out.
Murrells Inlet-Garden City wants $229,660 for its marine safety initiative and to add emergency medical coverage during spring and fall motorcycle rallies. The marine coverage runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thursday through Saturday.
“I wish I could say we are providing it seven days a week,” Capt. Brad Bemis, the department’s grant manager, said.
He said Horry County has provided the same $170,516 for marine safety that the department is seeking from Georgetown County.
“They also provide lifeguards,” Bemis said.
There were no drownings at Garden City beach or the inlet this year.
“Unfortunately, I can’t say like Murrells Inlet we haven’t had fatalities,” Midway Battalion Chief Carr Gilmore said. “It’s been a tough two years.”
There were 16 deaths on the beaches and the Intracoastal Waterway in that period, Gilmore said. Midway wants $153,902 to expand water rescue operations.
Four drownings took place within the town of Pawleys Island. Committee member Billy Nichols asked if the town was included in Midway’s program budget.
That’s separate, Gilmore said, but even without it “our beach goes from the jetties at Murrells Inlet all the way to North Inlet.”
Two requests from the county’s Tourism Management Commission total $876,600. The funds are in addition to the $500,000 in accommodations tax earmarked for tourism promotion in accordance with state law.
“These funds are vital to the success of tourism,” said Mark Stevens, the tourism development director for the Chamber of Commerce, which provides staffing for the tourism commission.
Nichols asked if the Chamber can break the revenue down by County Council district. “That would be good for everyone to see.”
Funding the top requests would leave $1,011 for the other 24 to share.
The advisory committee meets Dec. 4 and 9:30 a.m. in County Council chambers to compile its recommendations. The council is scheduled to vote on the allocations Dec. 9.
