A former Myrtle Beach mayor is ramping up opposition to the possibility of an additional one-cent-per-dollar sales tax inside city limits to fund tourism promotion.
Mark McBride lost his mayoral seat to current Mayor John Rhodes in 2006, and while he's moved to Conway since then, McBride says he's still got significant interests in Myrtle Beach.
In anticipation of Myrtle Beach city council considering a new penny tax in the coming weeks, McBride has launched a campaign against it in the form of anti-tax bumper stickers and a web page on the social networking site Facebook.com.
After Governor Sanford allowed the "tourism fee" bill to become law (by not signing it or vetoing it), Myrtle Beach, and all local governments within Horry County, now have the option to implement the tax.
Tourism leaders and some on council, including Mayor Rhodes, say the tax is necessary for the Grand Strand to be able to maintain out-of-state tourism promotion.
The state of SC has all but eliminated a matching-funds program that had been set up to help the Grand Strand raise money for advertising.
Proponents fear without the tax, which they estimate generating $15 million in the first year, jobs would be lost and the tourists would quit coming.
McBride thinks it's a foolish idea and says people will quit coming after the sales tax tops 15 cents on certain purchases.
"I'm sorry that there are some hoteliers that have built thousands and thousands of rooms and now they don't have the occupancy, but that's not for the taxpayer to worry about -- their advertising concerns. Somewhere there's a happy medium," McBride said.
But the tax is by no means for certain yet. There are catches in the bill such as a super majority of council members must vote on it for it to become law.
If a super majority fails, a simple majority of council can see that it is put on a referendum for voters to decide.
However it passes, if it does, the tax would not apply to unprepared foods or medication, and it would end after ten years.
Plus, promoters of the tax say after the first two years, as much as 20 percent of the generated revenue could be used as property tax rollbacks and for tourism-related projects like the proposed boardwalk in Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach City Council has said the penny tax will likely be put on an agenda in the coming weeks.
