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News Releases:​

Workshop to focus on future of Hwy. 17 Corridor
Sept. 10, 2019

Georgetown County and the Grand Strand Area Transportation Study (GSATS) have joined together to work with local residents in planning for the future of the Highway 17 corridor on the Waccamaw Neck. 

As a kickoff to this effort, a public workshop will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Murrells Inlet Community Center from 5-7 p.m. Residents and business owners are invited to bring family and friends to a drop-in style workshop, which will feature interactive stations that will allow planners to gather public input regarding the corridor. 

Planned stations will include:

•  A Land Use Plan Update Station with information about the process and initial findings related future land use in the County,
•  A Transportation Station with initial data related to the corridor and an opportunity to meet with the Transportation Corridor Study consultants,
•  Multiple stations with creative ways to provide input on your vision for the future development of the Highway 17 corridor. 

Residents are strongly encouraged to attend this workshop and take advantage of the opportunity to provide input regarding this important aspect of planning for Georgetown County’s future. 

Online comments may be provided at https://wikimapping.com/us17.html.

 

Deadline to apply for A-tax grants is Oct. 4
Sept. 10, 2019

The Georgetown County Finance Department is now accepting applications from local groups that would like to receive a portion of the county’s share of state accommodations tax funds.

Application forms are available on the Finance Page and must be received by the county’s Finance Department by 5 p.m. Oct. 4.

The accommodations tax, also known as A-tax, is charged by the state on vacation rentals. Funds are returned to the county where they are collected and are made available to fund projects directly related to tourism. It is currently unknown exactly how much funding will be available.

Applications will be reviewed and judged based on the merits of the application and the proposed event or project. Numerous factors will be considered when making award decisions; however, the most significant factor will be the projected impact on county tourism from the event or project.

For more information, contact Glenda Long at gjlong@gtcounty.org or (843) 545-3251.

 

County names new Emergency Manager
Aug. 29, 2019

Georgetown County is pleased to announce that Brandon Ellis of Pawleys Island has been hired as its new Emergency Manager. His first day on the job will be Sept. 16. Ellis will replace Sam Hodge, who has held the position since 2007 and retires on Aug. 31.

“We are fortunate to have someone with Brandon’s extensive background in Emergency Management taking the helm in this area, as we all know how critical this position is,” said County Administrator Sel Hemingway.

Ellis is a seasoned Emergency Management professional with more than 10 years of experience at both the county and state levels. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Francis Marion University while serving as a part-time and volunteer firefighter in Mullins.  He continued to serve in the fire service in Marion after graduation, where he became the Marion County Director of Emergency Management. Ellis served in this capacity for five years, until he was hired by the South Carolina Emergency Management Division as one of six Regional Emergency Managers, covering eight counties, including Georgetown. He has served in this capacity since 2014, and has been an integral part of the Georgetown County team in all of the emergency response efforts during that time.

In addition to his experience, Ellis has extensive training in Emergency Management at the federal, state and local level. He was recognized as the S.C. Emergency Management Division’s Employee of the Quarter in April of 2018, and most recently as the Employee of the Year in January of 2019.
Ellis resides in the Pawleys Island area with his wife Brittany and two young daughters, Olivia and Amelia.
In the period between Hodge’s departure and Ellis’ start date, Cindy Grace, the county’s emergency management coordinator, will lead the department.
 

Controlling Mosquitos this Summer
July 20, 2019

Mosquito season is here and Georgetown County Mosquito Control is working hard to keep the mosquito population down. The weekly Mosquito Control schedule can be viewed here. To request service, contact the division's hotline at 843) 545-3615.

There are also many things you can do at home to cut down mosquito populations. One of the most effective is to drain any areas that have standing water. Mosquitoes use standing water as breeding sites to lay their eggs. On first glace you might think your yard is clear of possible breeding sites, but mosquito pupae and larvae can breed in very small and unsuspecting quantities of standing water. Look around your yard and drain or turn over any objects or areas that may be vessels for stagnant water. These vessels can include things like saucers underneath plants, puddles near outdoor faucets, old tires, buckets, watering cans, wheel barrows and depression or divot spots in your property.

Clear out the gutters around your home as well as nearby street gutters. If you have a pool, keep it chlorinated while in use, and drained and covered in the off season. Tightly tie down tarps covering objects and equipment so as not to leave folds and depressions where water can settle and mosquitoes can breed. If you have saucers underneath your plants, fill the area of the saucer with sand. That way, the plant can still absorb the water, but mosquitoes can’t use the standing water to lay their eggs.

 

Georgetown County begins search for new Administrator
July 13, 2019

The search is on in Georgetown County for a new top executive.

The county’s Human Resources Department started advertising last week for a new County Administrator. The action comes six weeks after Sel Hemingway, who has held the position since 2008, announced his plans to retire at the end of this year. He discussed plans for beginning the search for a replacement with County Council during council’s last meeting on June 25.

The job has been posted on local, state and national sites typically utilized by government agencies. These sites include those belonging to the International County Managers Association, the SC Association of Counties and SC Works to name a few. The advertisement was also directly mailed to all members of the S.C. City/County Managers Association.

The job posting lists the salary as negotiable. Minimum training and experience required include a master’s degree in public administration and eight years of experience, or a bachelor’s degree plus 10 years of experience in public administration, management or related field. Proven skills in a wide range of fields the Administrator deals with on a daily basis are also required. The full job listing can be viewed on the Employment page of the county's website.

All applications must be sent to the county’s Human Resources office, where they will be delivered to the Human Resources Director for review. The director will eliminate any applicants who do not meet the qualifications standards. All remaining applications will be sent to County Council members for review. Human Resources Director Walt Ackerman says he hopes to have applications to Council members by mid-August. Applications that were removed due to lack of qualifications will also be available to Council upon request. Once Council is in receipt of all qualified applications, they will determine the process for reducing the number of applicants for interviews and public presentation.

 

County opens new fire station in Big Dam area, seeks volunteer firefighters
July 2, 2019

Georgetown County Fire/EMS opened its 16th station on July 2, with a ribbon cutting at the new Big Dam Community Fire Station, located at 15 Big Dam Swamp Drive.

Construction of the 5,012-square-foot facility cost just under $967,000, and was funded with monies from the Capital Project Sales Tax. The county also received a $290,000 community development block grant to provide a new fire engine to be housed at the station. The station will improve fire response service to the Big Dam Swamp area of Andrews and, as a result, will also decrease the property insurance rates for residents in that area.

“This has been a long time coming… but it’s here now, we’ve finally got it,” County Administrator Sel Hemingway told the crowd that gathered in the engine bay to celebrate the new station. He recognized the volunteers who serve the community as firefighters and issued a plea for others to step up to become volunteer firefighters.

“This is a can-do and a will-do community. I have seen that all my life and throughout my career serving you as a council member and now as administrator. It’s demonstrated when you look around this bay and see the folks who have already committed themselves to volunteering to support this facility, taking the necessary effort and training to serve this community as firefighters,” Hemingway said. “But we need more of them. It takes volunteers to be able to serve the outlying communities in a county as big as ours. We’re not only asking you, we’re begging you to consider volunteering.”

Hemingway also spoke about plans to present another Capital Project Sales Tax referendum to the public and future projects that could be funded for the Big Dam community with funds raised, such as a recycling center and improvement of the intersection of County Line Road and Big Dam Swamp Drive. The previous Capital Project Sales Tax expired on May 1.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter is asked to call (843) 543-3138 or (843) 833-2737. No prior experience is needed to become a volunteer firefighter.

 

Two to compete for vacant County Council seat

June 1, 2019

Thomas Alford, a Democrat, and Raymond Newton, a Republican, will compete for a vacant County Council seat this fall. The two are seeking to fill the District 5 seat that was left open in May, when Council Member Austin Beard resigned.

Voters will go to the polls to elect their new representative on Sept. 10.

A primary election was originally scheduled for July to decide between two Republican candidates, but one candidate, Mark Mercer, withdrew from the race on May 31. 

Voters in Georgetown County will also vote in the following elections this year:

• Nov. 5, Town of Andrews (mayor and 3 seats)

• Nov. 5, Town of Pawleys Island (mayor and 4 seats)

• Nov. 5, City of Georgetown General

Residents wishing to check or update their voter registration, or who need to register to vote, can do so at www.scvotes.org.

Residents may also contact the Georgetown County Office of Elections and Voter Registration at (843) 545-3339. The office is located at 303 N. Hazard St. in Georgetown.

 

James 'Kin' McKenzie Jr. sworn in as new Murrells Inlet magistrate

May 20, 2019

James Kinley “Kin” McKenzie Jr. was sworn in this morning as Georgetown County’s newest magistrate. Judge McKenzie will serve the Murrells Inlet community, replacing former Judge John Benso, who retired on April 30, after eight years.

McKenzie, an Inlet resident, worked in law enforcement for 34 years, including 27 years with the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED). For the last 14 years with SLED, he was a captain over criminal investigations.

The oath of office was delivered to Judge McKenzie by Judge Tony Love, the associate chief magistrate and magistrate in charge of central traffic court. McKenzie’s wife Vicki stood by his side during the oath. McKenzie was also joined up front by Chief Magistrate Isaac L. Pyatt Sr. and Johnny Abraham, a friend and colleague, who is a current SLED captain for the Pee Dee region. McKenzie was appointed to the position by S.C. Sens. Stephen Goldfinch and Ronnie Sabb.

“I’m looking forward to this job and I can tell from the very beginning that the staff here is excellent,” McKenzie said. We’re going to work together wonderfully and carry out the duties of this office.”

Judge Pyatt encouraged him not to be afraid to lean on his fellow magistrates when necessary.

“I promise you we will be there for you at any time,” he said. “The worst question is the question that has never been asked. We work together as a team here, and we push forward for justice and justice alone. We don’t have any special friends to honor, nor any enemy to punish. We’re here to seek justice, and I know for sure that’s your aim as well, because if it wasn’t you would not be standing here today.”

McKenzie said he was very active in the Boy Scouts, both as a child and an adult. He and his son were Eagle Scouts.

“There is a part of the Scout oath that says ‘on my honor, I will do my best,’ and that is my promise to the citizens of Georgetown County,” McKenzie said.

McKenzie officially began his new job at 1 p.m. today.

 

New information regarding child support payments

April 16, 2019

The Georgetown County Clerk of Court has released new guidelines regarding child support payments. View them in full at the link below.

Guidelines regarding child support payments

 

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