Horry County assessor Larry Roscoe summed it up: 鈥淭hey found us.鈥
The county continued to be one of the fastest growing counties in the state and country in 2024. With that growth, the Horry County Council and county departments grappled with providing the necessary infrastructure and services for the ever-growing population.
To fund those needs, the council passed a nearly $1 billion budget for the fiscal year 2024-2025. The $827 million budget managed to take care of the county鈥檚 needs without an increase in millage.
Roads & RIDE
More people meant more vehicles on county roads and highways.
A new RIDE 4 program was approved by the county voters in November. Unlike the three previous RIDE programs that added an extra penny sales tax that had 7-year lifespans, the new RIDE 4 program will keep the same penny tax but will extend for 25 years, giving the county greater options to fund larger projects such as the Southern Connector, previously known as the SELL project, and a jumpstart on I-73 in the northern part of the county along with a litany of local road projects.
A number of RIDE 3 projects were completed or in the process to be in 2024 including widening parts of Highway 501 to three lanes.
Many of the folks in Legends Drive grew tired of the poor condition of that road that connects Highway 501 to the Legends Golf Course. Claiming the owner of the road refused to repair it, hundreds signed a petition to have the county declare a special tax district that would charge residents and businesses on or near the road a special assessment to repair and maintain the road. The county would then take over ownership of the road.
Legends Drive voters approved such a move in a special election in July that opened the way to have the county council enact a special ordinance to take over the road.
Hospital issues
Conway Medical Center had plans to build a 50-bed, $160 million hospital on International Drive across from the Lewis Ocean Bay Nature Preserve.
Environmentalists and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources objected to the project, with the DNR questioning the proximity of the hospital to controlled burns the department conducts in the nature preserve.
The hospital opted to delay its request and later decided to sell the land to the DNR. Instead, CMC shifted its focus to an emergency facility campus that will be located near the intersection of Highway 90 and Highway 22.
New leaders, familiar faces
After more than three decades of working with Horry County, county administrator Steve Gosnell decided to step down and enjoy retirement at the end of the year.
Assistant Administrator for Finance Barry Spivey was named by the county council to replace Gosnell.
With the retirement of Horry County Police Chief Joseph Hill, Kris Leonhardt was named to take over that post starting on Oct. 4.
Leonhardt has been with the department since 2002. His most recent role has been deputy chief of the HCPD Operations Support Bureau which includes the Bomb Squad, Special Operations, Community Engagement, River Patrol, Traffic Enforcement, Airport Police, Street Crimes and Narcotics Unit, Environmental Services and the Animal Care Center.
Opioid battle
Horry County has initiated several programs to fight the ongoing battle against opioid drug overdoses.
Horry County Fire Rescue started its broader Harm Reduction Program with the hiring of two harm reduction specialists, who were brought on to specifically tackle the effects of the opioid epidemic on Horry County.
With state funds provided through a legal settlement with opioid manufacturers, the two harm reduction specialists began formulating a strategy for how they鈥檇 try to make a difference against 鈥渙verdoses鈥 and 鈥渙verdose-related patient鈥 numbers that have steadily increased over the last six years.
Person-to-person contact, linking those needing help with available resources, and a robust community outreach plan, the two harm reduction specialists were met with positive results. As the team has grown to four harm reduction specialists, with one year of data points tallied, HCFR and Horry County leadership is optimistic about the direction and results of this program.
鈥淲e鈥檙e too cautious to say we鈥檝e cracked the code and are turning this thing around,鈥 said HCFR Chief Joseph Tanner. 鈥淏ut many of the numbers we track related to this epidemic have started to show movement in the right direction鈥攊n the form of a decrease in both naloxone (NARCAN) administrations, and the number of patients to whom HCFR crews administer these overdose effect-reversing drugs.鈥
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.