Horry County Administration Committee Meeting - September 24, 2024
Horry County Administration Committee Meeting - September 24, 2024
The Administration Committee of Horry County Council met on September 24, 2024, at 1:00 PM in the County Council Conference Room. The committee reviewed financial updates for June, July, and August 2024, approved an EMS receivable write-off, and acted on multiple budget, personnel, housing, and infrastructure items. All actions were approved unanimously unless noted.
Financial Update – June, July & August 2024 (Shannon Todd, Finance Director)
Ms. Todd presented financial summaries. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, general fund revenues were $270.3 million (107% of budget) and expenditures $219.4 million (90% of budget), resulting in a net fund balance increase of $24.4 million. For the first two months of FY2025 (July and August), general fund revenues were $14.3 million (5.3% of budget), expenditures $38.4 million (14.6% of budget), with net change in fund balance of -$25.7 million, as expected due to property tax timing. Special revenue funds (Fire, Road Maintenance, Beach Renourishment, Stormwater, Recreation, Waste Management) were performing as anticipated.
EMS Receivable Write-Off
Ms. Todd requested approval to write off $5,222,531 in uncollected EMS charges originating from services provided on or before June 30, 2021 (the COVID period). The write-off complies with accounting standards; collections efforts will continue. The committee noted improved collection rates, with $812,992 collected in FY2024 from previously written-off accounts.
Annual Review of Financial & Capital Improvement Program Policies
Ms. Todd reported no new best practices from GFOA or GASB since the last review. Staff recommended no changes to the Financial Policies or Capital Improvements Program Policies. The committee accepted the report without action.
Recording Notification Service (RNS) – Fraud Alert System (Marion Foxworth, Register of Deeds)
Mr. Foxworth presented a new free fraud alert service for property owners. The RNS notifies registrants via email the same day a document is recorded in their name. The system is live; over 200 citizens signed up in the first three weeks. The committee praised the initiative.
Reassessment Appeals Update & Tax Estimator Demo (Larry Roscoe, Assessor)
Mr. Roscoe demonstrated a new online tax estimator tool that allows property owners to estimate taxes using parcel number and value. As of the meeting, 3,708 reassessment appeals had been filed (expected total 4,500-5,000); 58% have received written responses and 11% are closed. The committee thanked staff for the tool.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance to Authorize Compensation for Board of Shoreline Behavioral Health Services: Approved. The ordinance removes the provision barring compensation. The board recommended $75 per meeting for members and $100 for the chair, plus mileage. The committee also directed staff to develop a uniform compensation policy for all county boards and committees for the next meeting. (Vote: unanimous)
- Ordinance to Amend FY2025 Budget (Ordinance 36-2024): Approved. The amendment includes: (1) adding six new positions (three administrative assistants for Public Defender, Solicitor, Clerk of Court, funded by excess revenue; three shared records/retention coordinators for IT and Voter Registration, funded by savings); (2) establishing spending schedules for 13 capital projects (e.g., Central Coast Complex, fire stations, parks); (3) transferring $825,000 from CIP Contingency to the Big Bull Landing project for flood mitigation; (4) increasing council member and chairman salaries by $5,000 each (total $77,040), effective January 1, 2025, funded by existing recurring revenue. (Vote: unanimous)
- Resolution to Award Horry County HOME Consortium Funding: Approved. Awards: Habitat for Humanity of Horry County ($320,000 for new construction of 8 units in Conway; $40,000 for rehabilitation of 1 home in Myrtle Beach; $50,000 for CHDO operating assistance); Eastern Carolina Housing Organization ($400,000 for tenant-based rental assistance for 50 households). (Vote: unanimous)
- Resolution to Award Horry County HOME-ARP Funding: Approved. Award: Eastern Carolina Housing Organization ($324,250 for supportive services and $75,750 for non-profit operating expenses, total $400,000, for homelessness prevention). (Vote: unanimous)
- Resolution to Support Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024: Approved. (Vote: unanimous)
- Resolution Providing Support for Acquisition by Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) of Property Near Conway Campus: Approved. HGTC plans to acquire two properties (2431 and 2451 Highway 501 East) totaling ~60,000 sq ft for educational expansion. The property will be removed from tax rolls; council supported the loss offset by community benefit. (Vote: unanimous)
- Community Benefit Fund Requests: Approved. Nine allocations totaling $31,000 from various council district accounts, including $2,500 to Carolina Forest Middle of the Road (median maintenance), $2,000 to GFWC North Myrtle Beach Women’s Club, $3,000 to Grand Strand Humane Society, and $4,000 to Sunshine Recovery Ministries, among others. (Vote: unanimous)
- Legends Special Tax District – Issuance of $2,500,000 General Obligation Bonds: Approved. The bonds will fund road, drainage, and public works improvements within the district, approved by referendum in July 2024. A companion resolution declaring intent to reimburse prior expenditures was also approved. (Vote: unanimous)
- Ordinance Amending Casino Boat Surcharge: Approved. Extends the surcharge for gambling vessels for 10 years (through February 2035). Surcharge increases from $7 to $15 per passenger per cruise effective April 1, 2025, then to $18 on January 1, 2030. Estimated annual revenue increase from $877,000 to $1.3 million. (Vote: unanimous)
The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:56 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for October 22, 2024.
Meeting Transcript
Followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Everybody please rise. With bow your heads. Heavenly Father, thank you for bringing us here today to do the county business. Please guide us in the decisions that we are about to make for the betterment of all of Ory County. Please look after all of our public safety and every employee that works for the county and all the municipalities as they go about their jobs today. Please keep them safe and guide us as we move forward. In your name and pray. I'm in. Moving on to public input. Do we have any public input signed up for today? Okay, moving on to the review and approval of the agenda contents of move, Mr. Chairman. Second. All in favor, aye. Aye. Ayes have it. Moving on to the approval of the minutes from the July 9th, 2024 meeting. Motion to approve. All in favor, aye. Aye. Moving on to new business. Financial update, June, July, and August 2024, Ms. Todd. Welcome. Several months for you today. So we'll start off in June, which was the last month of the fiscal year. So we saw revenues on a year-to-date basis of 270.3 million, expenditures of 219 million, transfers of 26 million, resulting in a net change in fund balance of 24 million. At budget to actual revenues were at 107% of budget amounts, whereas expenditures were at 80%, excuse me, 90%. So looking at revenues for general fund in comparison to prior year, we're currently up just under 28 million. This is mostly due to property taxes with a combination of millage increase and growth. Also, interest is up over prior year by 3.2 million. Looking at expenditures for general fund in comparison to prior year, currently up 13 and a half million. The largest driver here is going to be in personnel services due to all the new positions added. And we're also seeing large increases in contractual services with 2.8 million over prior year. Fire fund had a net change in fund balance over prior year of 6.6 million. Revenues are up due to millage increase in interest, whereas expenditures are up due to the new fire stations and the associated personnel added there. Road maintenance fund, relatively neutral in comparison to the prior year with a net change in fund balance of 228,000. Large driver here is going to be your difference in transfers, and that's because we had no large projects scheduled for that fiscal year. And the stormwater fund had a net change of 1.7 million. We're seeing additional revenues due to increase in fees and interests, and also seeing transfers decrease due to less planned vehicle purchases and repairs. And that's mainly due to increases in taxes and interest. Okay, we'll move on to item B EMS receivable write-off. Okay. I am going to skip July and go straight into August. But you will see that for the new fiscal year we've made some changes. So for one, where you you can see we have August. So we've moved our deadlines up so we can present you the most up-to-date information. Also I've changed the format. So we're instead of our old comparison was prior actuals to current actuals.
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