A bill in the South Carolina House to help fund beach restoration could lead to a tax increase along the Grand Strand.
Legislators call the bill the "Beach Preservation Act."
If the bill is passed into law, it would allow municipalities along the coast to determine if they want to impose a one percent accommodations tax to fund coastal restoration.
State Representative Nelson Hardwick co-sponsored the bill.
He believes the bill would give cities the opportunity to raise funds, especially with federal spending expecting to decrease, he said.
"There's less and less money that's going to be coming down from the federal government when we have a problem with our beach because they don't have any money," Hardwick said.
Beach erosion is a big problem in coastal areas near Charleston, he added.
"Sullivan's Islands got tremendous problems down there. They about need to put up a sea wall in certain areas," he said. "I don't know that everybody will get on board with it. But it's something that the local government will look into and figure out."
The city of Myrtle Beach spent near $1.75 million in each of the past five years for coastal restoration, according to spokesman Mark Kruea.
Myrtle Beach City Council has not discussed the possibility of adding a Beach Preservation Tax to the current 13 percent accommodations tax, he said.
The city's accommodation tax breaks down to five percent State Sales Tax, a one percent Horry County Road Sales Tax, a 2.5 percent Hospitality Fee, a two percent State Accommodations Tax, a .5 percent Local Accommodations Tax, a one percent Local Education Capital Improvements Sales Tax and a one percent Tourism Development Fee to equal 13 percent.
"This is something that has just come up. We have not had a opportunity to review the bill, and of course, the bill has another three to four committees it has to go through anyway," Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes said.
Council will weigh the negatives and positives of the tax, Rhodes added.
"The word tax is just a dangerous word that people just do not like. Anytime you take money out of somebody's pocket they're going to look at it. But this here would be strictly on accommodations. Not something that would come out of our citizens in the city or the residents but strictly on the rental of rooms."
Surfside Beach Mayor Doug Samples did not know the details of the tax but did not favor a tax increase.
"I know their intentions are well meaning, but we have to remain competitive," Samples said.
But Samples does appreciate the decision whether to impose the tax ultimately lies with the municipalities.
