CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Horry County leaders voted Tuesday night to extend the county’s hospitality fee, but there’s controversy among council members on what they’ll use the money for.
Tuesday night’s vote means the county will be able to keep collecting the fee that comes when you stay in a hotel, eat at a restaurant, or see a movie or show in a theatre.
The third and final reading was passed after more than half an hour of debate among county leaders.
Some say they’d like to see the money go towards police, others say it should only be used for infrastructure and road projects. Chariman Mark Lazarus says the money should go towards paving I-73
“If we can come up with the Horry County portion, that means that we have skin in the game, shovel ready project. That’s what the federal government looks for. President Trump has said when he campaigned here that he’s going to get I-73 built and hopefully that will be part of his infrastructure transportation package that hopefully he’ll be getting out in the near future,” said Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus.
Previously, this fee was used to pay for road projects in the ride one project…but now most of those bonds have been paid back. Lazarus says now the county will have to vote on what they want the money to go towards.
