During day one of the City of North Myrtle Beach’s budget retreat, council members discussed ways to pay police and fire more money. One way to do that, they said, is increase business license fees.
The city noted it has been a while since business license fees were touched; they have not been updated since 1986. City Finance Manager Randy Wright said they had been able to keep them so low for so long because the city has tried to brand itself as a business-friendly community.
Council members said today it has gotten to a point where they have to raise them. The city has to pay a state-mandated $260,000 increase in police and fire retirement funding. The mayor said during the retreat that money has to come from somewhere.
“The main part of the business license fee, that part will go for the raises we are going to see in our police and fire departments,” said Mayor Marilyn Hatley.
Council will further discuss Tuesday how to keep their police salaries competitive with Myrtle Beach’s new plan to pay their officers more.
Right now a certified officer in North Myrtle Beach makes $42,000. If Myrtle Beach finds funding for their new plan, their certified officers will get paid $44,000, an increase from $39,000.
“Our pay was higher already,” Hatley said, “but we feel like we’re going to have to raise our pay scale simply to compete with the Myrtle Beach area if they go through with what they plan to do.”
Nothing is set in stone at the retreat, and council will not make a final decision on the budget until this summer.
Hatley said they are not factoring in any talks on the Tourism Development Fee, which is a 1% sales tax increase. Residents will vote next week on whether or not to adopt that.
