CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Conway City leaders discussed several things they would like to see happen in the city during Monday’s budget workshop meeting.
Council member Ashley Smith told city leaders they have to look at pay for police officers. He says if they don’t, he’s worried the city will lose them.
Since Myrtle Beach made its announcement to increase the salaries for officers, surrounding agencies have told News13 they’re worried about losing officers.
“We do a lot for our employees, but our police are our backbone. There’s a lot of crime in our areas, a lot of break-ins, that sort of thing. We want to be competitive to Myrtle Beach and Coastal Carolina University, and I think paying our policemen is the first step in that,” said Smith.
City Administrator Adam Emrick says they plan to look at staff salaries across the board.
“Certainly, police pay is one of those things. We know that across the community here, we’re having a lot of issues with officer salary and officer retention and employment. We are having the same problem here in the City of Conway to find officers, attract officers, and retain officers. So, certainly, as we go through the budget cycle, police pay will be one of those major concerns,” said Emrick.
Council members also stressed the need for more activities for teenagers in the city.
“We’re looking at things from altering our recreation center membership for teenagers, to adding more programing for teenagers, to encouraging leadership amongst teenage groups. That certainly will be a priority in the next budget year as well,” said Emrick.
Some council members said they’d like to see a park built for children with special needs. Smith says the park would be modeled like Savannah’s Playground in Myrtle Beach.
“These kids, they’re in wheelchairs, they have different needs, and they’re great kids. They just want to have their own place. I think if Conway was to put the money together, we can get sponsors. We can do a lot of different things. The sky is the limit at what we can do,” said Smith.
Emrick says they also want to come up with ways to better market and brand the city.
“Council is also very concerned with the city’s image, taking the facilities we have and making sure that they’re in top condition, and making sure the landscaping in our downtown is something we can be proud of. I think that will round out the budget,” said Emrick
Monday’s meeting was an opportunity for council to express what they’d like to see in the coming year’s budget. The city’s budget retreat is scheduled for March 8th through the 10th.
