COASTAL OBSERVER

The fate of $10 million for  local projects included in this year’s state budget could be decided when the legislature reconvenes next week.

Or it could remain in limbo as the lawmakers figure out how to address about $300 million in earmarks that accompanied the $15.7 million budget.

Among those are $2 million for a dredging project in Murrells Inlet, $1.5 million to replace the Murrells Inlet boat ramp, $2 million for Brookgreen Gardens and $2 million for a drainage project along Martin Luther King Road.

The state has been operating under a continuing resolution since the legislature failed to pass the budget before the July 1 start of the fiscal year. A conference committee of Senate and House members finally agreed to address the earmarks in a separate bill based on the recommendations of a review committee.

That committee hasn’t been named, but the legislature is due to meet Tuesday.

“Negotiations are still ongoing,” said state Rep. Lee Hewitt, who serves on the Ways and Means Committee.

He was among the lawmakers requesting funds for Brookgreen Gardens, which plans to add a butterfly pavilion to the welcome center that opened this year.

Hewitt also requested $1.25 million for an operations center for the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Department and funding for the Martin Luther King Road drainage work.

He and Rep. Carl Anderson requested $250,000 for the Georgetown Fire Department and Anderson asked for $1.5 million for the city’s Housing Redevelopment Authority.

State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch requested the funds for the Murrells Inlet dredging and boat ramp projects. 

“Everybody feels like they’ve got to bring something back to their community,” Hewitt said.

There were no earmarks included in last year’s budget. They returned this year, but drew opposition. The two chambers were also divided over increasing the Homestead Exemption for seniors.

“The Senate was funding it with one-time money,” Hewitt said.

The House version, which prevailed in the conference committee, increases the exemption from $50,000 to $75,000 of the market value of owner-occupied homes for people 65 and older. That will cost the state $81 million, which will reimburse local governments.

The budget also includes $315 million to reduce the state income tax to 5.21 percent. The goal is to eventually eliminate the tax.

Conferees also noted that the budget fulfills the state’s goal from eight years ago to raise the starting salaries for teachers to $50,000 and includes $100 million for road and bridge projects.

Both chambers still have to vote on the conference committee recommendation, including the proposal for earmarks.

“That’s still being discussed,” Hewitt said.

If those items aren’t funded by the state, the cost will fall to property taxpayers, he said.

“Like the Murrells Inlet boat ramp, which is the most used boat ramp in the state,” he said.