City of Myrtle Beach Annual Budget

*GOVERNMENT* Myrtle Beach adheres to the Council-Manager form of government. City Council hires the city manager, who is the city's chief executive officer.
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Owner-occupied homes received an 88.5 percent credit on their 2011 city tax bills, thanks to the one percent Tourism Development Fee. A handy on-line calculator is available to see how much savings you can expect. The Tourism Development Fee allows the city to use up to 20 percent of the fee for tax credits and/or tourism related capital improvement projects. The remaining 80 percent is used for out-of-market advertising.

What do you get for your money? In 2009 (before the Tourism Development Fee credit), a typical residential household with a home valued at $192,500 and two cars valued at $28,000 paid approximately $600 in city taxes, $234 in solid waste fees and $51 in stormwater management fees. Here's some of what that $885 bought....

Twenty-four hour police protection; criminal investigation; traffic enforcement; crime prevention programs; school resource officers; 24-hour fire protection; 24-hour EMS response; hazardous materials response; traffic signals and street lights; street construction and maintenance; street cleaning; drainage system maintenance; parks and recreation facilities and programs; street tree planting and maintenance; community planning, zoning and development review; construction services and code enforcement; municipal court; various economic development services; and all municipal support, management and legislative services.

Questions? E-mail info@cityofmyrtlebeach.com or call (843) 918-1014.

City of Myrtle Beach Annual Budget

Fiscal year: July 1 to June 30

THE 2011-12 BUDGET

Myrtle Beach's proposed budget for fiscal year 2011-12 totals $152.5 million. The budget has no tax increase, but does include a 4.5 percent blended increase in water and sewer rates. A home using 3,000 gallons of water per month will pay an extra 92 cents monthly. Below are helpful links to the proposed budget, which was approved May 24, 2011.

Thanks to the one percent tourism development fee, owner-occupied homes again will receive an 88.5 percent property tax credit. The credit covers the city's operations rate of 58.5 mills, leaving just the debt service rate of 7.6 mills. The city's full ad valorem tax rate is 66.1 mills. Without the credit, city property taxes on a home valued at $200,000 would be $528.80. With the $468 credit, city taxes on a $200,000 home drop to $60.80.

THE 2010-11 BUDGET

The Myrtle Beach City Council approved a budget totaling $136.8 million for fiscal year 2010-11. The spending plan does not include a tax increase. Instead, it includes an 88.5 percent tax credit for owner-occupied homes, thanks to the one percent Tourism Development Fee. That's a savings of $468 for a home valued at $200,000, leaving a city tax bill of just $60.80.

This was a reassessment year, and the assessed value of property within the City of Myrtle Beach fell from $430.6 million to $368.7 million. Once these numbers became available, City Council met in special session September 21 and approved an operational rate of 58.5 mills and a debt service rate of 7.6 mills, for a total of 66.1 mills, based on the reassessed values. As mentioned above, owner-occupied homes will receive a credit for the operational millage.

The stormwater utility fee rises 75 cents to $5.00 per equivalent residential unit (ERU), while the solid waste fee increases $1 to $20.50 per month for weekly garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulky junk pickup. A budget summary is available below, along with the budget ordinance.

THE 2009-10 BUDGET

The $128 million spending plan that began July 1, 2009, maintained the previous ad valorem property tax rate, although Council authorized a 1.5 mill property tax credit for all taxpayers and all types of property. A summary of the budget is available below, along with the actual budget ordinance.

2009-10 Budget Summary (PDF)
2009-10 Budget Ordinance (PDF)

THE 2008-09 BUDGET

Effective July 1, 2008, the City of Myrtle Beach's ad valorem property tax rate was 64.4 mills, an increase of three mills and the first millage increase in several years. The city's budget for 2008-09 totaled $159,214,386, including $104,118,521 for operations, $14,159,726 for debt service and $40,936,139 for new capital authorizations, including a mile-long oceanfront boardwalk. A summary of the budget is available below, along with the actual budget ordinance.

2008-09 Budget Summary (PDF)
2008-09 Budget Ordinance (PDF)

THE 2007-08 BUDGET

Here are details of the 2007-08 budget, which ended June 30, 2008. The ad valorem property tax rate for 2007-08 was 61.4 mills, and the spending plan totaled $132.5 million, including $18.9 million for new capital improvement projects and $12.1 million for debt service. The budget documents below provide more detail about the city's services and revenues in 2007-08.

2007-08 Budget Summary (PDF)
2007-08 Budget Ordinance (PDF)

The 2007-08 budget included funding for a Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, the Independence Day celebration, increased fuel costs, salary and health insurance adjustments, and federal lobbying efforts for stormwater and other needs. Minor fee increases were included for cemetery lot prices, ambulance service, planning and zoning services and solid waste collection.

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