Horry council votes to move forward with RIDE III; Carolina Forest wants a voice

Horry County Council advanced the effort for a third sales tax referendum to fund roads at its meeting Tuesday, but not before one civic organization said it would like representation on a small, selective commission that will prioritize the projects.

The council voted to create the six-member commission, which can add to, delete and prioritize $530 million in road projects that will be presented to Horry County voters in November 2016. The county will vote to appoint three members, and the League of Cities – a group of leaders from area municipalities – will appoint three members. By law, two of those members must come from Myrtle Beach and the third must come from North Myrtle Beach.

Carole vanSickler, president of the Carolina Forest Civic Association, said the association wasn’t formed in 2006, which was the last time the county passed a 1-cent sales tax to pay for road projects. Now, the rapidly growing area has an association, and the group wants to make sure its voice and needs are heard for road improvements.