MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The City of Myrtle Beach could be raising ticket prices for major events like the Carolina Country Music Festival and the Myrtle Beach Marathon.
City council will vote to approve a budget that includes money collected from an extra $5 fee charged on tickets for next year’s CCMF.
“The idea with adding it to the ticket prices is that the people enjoying the event actually pay for the public services rather than the residents of Myrtle Beach paying for those public services,” said city spokesman, Mark Kruea.
The current plan is to use the five extra dollars made off each ticket from the 2018 CCMF to offset large public safety costs.
“It really does go into the general fund and be used for general fund purposes,” said Kruea. “Just for this next year’s budget we’ve targeted for those police purposes.”
Kruea said other events, like the Myrtle Beach Marathon, could see the fee as well though it’s not in next year’s budget.
“Things that require a lot of police or fire or public works efforts” could also be included, according to Kruea.
News13 reached out to Bob Durkin, President of Full House Productions which puts on CCMF, to ask about this extra fee but we have not heard back. Kruea said the group is aware and believes they are in agreement with the idea of the $5 fee.
“Realistically, they could pass it along to their ticket holders or they can absorb it and pay it themselves,” said Kruea.
Overall, the city wants to make sure tax payers don’t have to pay hefty fees for events they may not attend. This year, the city will pay nearly $150,000 in public services for CCMF like police, EMS and public works.
“It passes that cost along to the people who benefit most from those public services rather than the larger community,” added Kruea.
Over 20,000 people are expected to be in town for CCMF this weekend. Kruea said city council plans to vote on the budget this week.
