Tuesday, Feb. 09, 2010
Myrtle Beach council to focus on money-saving budget
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closeIt's no surprise: The coming budget year is going to be tight in Myrtle Beach.
But 2011-12 could be even worse.
The city's budget director, Michael Shelton, will update the City Council today to prepare council members for the coming budget season.
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What | Myrtle Beach City Council workshop
When | 9 a.m. today
Where | first-floor conference room, City Hall, 937 Broadway
What | Myrtle Beach City Council meeting
When | 2 p.m.
Where | Council Chambers, Ted C. Collins Law Enforcement Center, corner of Oak Street and Mr. Joe White Avenue
He said that because business license revenue is based on the previous year's gross receipts and comes at the end of the fiscal year, how well businesses do in any given year affects the city the year after.
Businesses saw tough times last year, and while they might grow their revenue this year, it's not going to be a steep increase, Shelton predicted.
He said he's seeing signs that things have bottomed out, and there are "weak" signs that the economy is turning around, but "we're not in the position to take an awful lot of risk right now," he said.
Council members asked for an update about six weeks before the city's annual budget retreat, which will take place at the beginning of April.
City manager Tom Leath has said nothing - even furloughs and layoffs - is off the table for saving money this year, but Shelton said it's too soon to make any recommendations.
Shelton's presentation will touch on how the city's revenue streams have been affected by the economy, and the potential impacts of various discussions being held at the state level.
"There's a lot of chatter in Columbia, but we don't know what the legislature is going to do this year," Shelton said.
The council will consider giving first approval to an ordinance allowing golf courses in transient accommodations zones, including TA-55, 80 and 120 - all of which are being requested in various areas of the 585 acres Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. wants the city to annex along the Intracoastal Waterway between Robert M. Grissom Parkway and 29th Avenue North.
The change would be citywide, but city spokesman Mark Kruea said it is one step in advance of the annexation request, which has not been finalized by the city yet.
The other item is first approval of an ordinance that would create a waterway overlay zone for the same area. Though it says it has no specific plans for the property yet, B&C has asked to have some potential uses built into zoning, including retail, restaurants, hotels and entertainment along the waterway.
The Myrtle Beach Planning Commission has already approved the waterway overlay zone, but the annexation request has stalled as the city waits for B&C to come back with some details about its zoning requests worked out.
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