Dowling estimates the TDF would generate about 8.5 million dollars each year, but the city would only be able to keep 20% of that amount. “It’s not a windfall for the city,” he said. Approximately 4% would fund property tax rebates, and the city would use the remaining 16%, about $1.3 million, to create more parking near the oceanfront. However, Dowling said, “You don’t get it for $1.3 million or even $8 million in the area that we’re looking at. It would take 5 years of even having that money to begin talking about buying a parking lot.”
According to Dowling, the other 80% of the TDF revenue would go to a marketing organization such as the North Myrtle Beach or Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. It would fund marketing efforts outside of the state, but Dowling questioned whether the city is prepared for a spike in tourism. “The city’s point of view is, is it smart to bring in thousands of new tourists for dinner when you haven’t even been able to set the table to welcome them, in terms of infrastructure.”
Dowling said the city faces approximately $80 million worth of capital improvement projects, and “our portion of a TDF is really not going to do much to go towards that. We need ocean outfalls built at a faster rate. We need stormwater improvements. We need road improvements,” he said.
Even if residents vote the TDF into effect, Dowling says the city will move forward with a proposed 2 millage tax increase for fiscal year 2019, as well as a proposed 1% sales tax to fund infrastructure projects. He said, “If we had our choice today of what bill we would vote on, that would be the bill we vote on.”
North Myrtle Beach registered voters will be able to take part in the referendum from 7 AM to 7 PM on Tuesday.
