County officials ask for public input on road improvements

  • 2016-02-25
The Horry County Council has until May 17 to consider which road projects to tackle. The improvements are projected to cost about $590m, and county officials want to hear from residents about what they consider to be important work.

The list of projects is being compiled by the RIDE III Sales Tax Commission, and the commission chairman, Eddie Dyer, said the panel wanted to hear from the public, because they often have better ideas than the commissioners. To encourage participation, there will be six public meetings in coming weeks.

RIDE III is the name of Horry County's proposed program to build or repair roads. If the voters approve it, work will be funded by levying a 1% sales tax to be collected over the next eight years. The commission is working to come up with a list of its own, but new ideas have emerged recently, including widening one road and adding a lane to another.

The first public meeting is slated for March 16, at 6:00 pm, at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center. The other five meetings will be in Myrtle Beach on March 22, Conway on March 24, Surfside Beach on March 29, North Myrtle Beach on March 31, and western Horry on April 4.

County officials who want voters' approval for the work might start by working with a flyer printing company to create a mailer that lists the proposed projects the commission has identified, and why they are necessary. It could then go on to invite residents to attend the meetings to give their input.