CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – The nearly two hundred residents who have been living in the wrong county due to a boundary error will decide on November 5th which county they want to live in.
Before Governor McMaster executed the referendum order on Monday, hundreds of lots could have jumped counties without even moving an inch.
The county ‘s border lines will not change rather the properties will be turned over to the county matching majority vote.
“Those parcels who thought they were in Horry County but by the boundary line were actually in Georgetown would then be annexed into Horry County and would become permanently apart of Horry County,” Horry County Public Information Officer, Kelly Moore said.
Impacted residents living on the effected boundary area will vote as a group and be the only votes casted in the referendum.
The vote is not at an individual parcel level, the decision will be made by the entire group in a majority vote . The effected group will vote to stay and annex into the county they were in to start with or to move into that new county.
The county does not withdraw county lines often, but it has happened before signifying why there is a specific process outlined in state law already in place for border referendum voting.
Switching counties is more than being on one side of a border line or the other.
The border change could effect resident’s tax rates, voting districts, schools, and public services.
A small number of residents are experiencing the reverse situation receiving Georgetown County service. Those parcels will be handled in another manner.
The November referendum process will only impact the 200 residents believed to be in Horry County prior to the boundary update.
Count on News13 to keep you updated when the final vote is cast during general elections in November.