When the North Myrtle Beach City Council meets Monday, June 15, the headline will be the tax increase getting its final vote. But the budget is only one item on a crowded agenda that also includes millions in new borrowing, a batch of zoning changes, and a city still working to fill two senior leadership posts. Taken together, the night is less a single decision than a snapshot of a city in transition — and worth understanding line by line.
The headline: the budget and the tax increase
The council will take second (final) reading on the FY2027 budget, the tax levy, and the related fiscal-year ordinance [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. The plan raises the property tax rate from 45 to 50 mills. For the owner of a $500,000 home, the millage change adds about $8.33 a month (roughly $100 a year), while water and sewer increases add about $10.42 a month — together about $18.75 more per month [MyHorryNews, 2026]. The budget also funds a 4% employee raise effective Oct. 4 and four new general-fund positions, and if approved it takes effect July 1 [MyHorryNews, 2026]. City leaders have framed the increase as necessary for public safety and employee retention.
A closer look at “the second tax in nine years”
In defending the increase at first reading, City Manager Ryan Fabbri told the council that the move from 45 to 50 mills is “only the second tax in the past nine years [MyHorryNews, 2026] — a framing the budget materials echo as the second rate increase in nine years [MyrtleBeachSC News, 2026]. That statement is accurate as far as the city’s property tax rate goes: the millage had held at 45 mills, with the FY2026 budget carrying no increase even as Fabbri signaled one was likely coming [MyHorryNews, 2025].
The phrase is worth reading precisely, though, because it counts only the millage rate — not the full set of charges residents actually pay. Household fees have moved more often than twice in nine years: this same budget raises water and sewer bills (about $10.42 a month on a $500,000 home), lifts the stormwater fee, and doubles the water-and-sewer setup fee [MyrtleBeachSC News, 2026].
Separately, Horry County’s 2024 reassessment pushed up the assessed value — and therefore the tax bill — on many properties without any change to the rate [MyrtleBeachSC News, 2026]. So while “only the second rate increase in nine years” holds up on its own terms, a resident who hears it as “my cost of city services has risen only twice in nine years” would be drawing a broader conclusion than the number supports. Both facts can be true at once, and residents can judge the framing for themselves.
But the tax line is not the only place the city is reaching for money.
The borrowing behind the budget
Also up for second reading is a Limited Obligation Bond of up to $18 million to fund the renovation and expansion of the city’s Aquatic and Fitness Center, which was originally built in 2004 [City of North Myrtle Beach Bond Ordinance, 2026]. Importantly, this debt is not backed by property taxes: it is pledged against the city’s tourism-related accommodations fees, and the ordinance states the city’s full faith, credit, and taxing power are not committed to it [City of North Myrtle Beach Bond Ordinance, 2026].
The financing caps annual debt service at $1.8 million and runs to no later than 2041 [City of North Myrtle Beach Bond Ordinance, 2026]. Separately, the council will give second reading to a lease-purchase financing ordinance for city vehicles and equipment [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. Neither is a property-tax item, but both commit future revenue.
The zoning changes flying under the radar
While taxes draw the attention, several land-use ordinances may shape daily life just as much. On first reading, the council will consider amendments to the zoning code that would remove the maximum area and count for bedrooms and sleeping areas in residential districts — a notable change in a beach city where occupancy and rentals are a constant issue — along with new rules on the outdoor storage of personal property and clarifications to site-specific development plan requirements in Chapters 20 and 23 [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026].
A second-reading item would also amend the Hope Pointe planned development to replace previously approved townhomes with detached cottage-style homes [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. These items rarely make headlines, but they set the rules for how the city grows.
Leadership still in transition
The “shift in leadership” question is most concrete in two empty offices. The Public Works Department has operated under interim director Dana Hamilton since June 2025, after longtime director Kevin Blayton retired following 26 years of service; the city is recruiting a permanent replacement through a search firm at a salary of $150,000 to $175,000 [MyHorryNews, 2026; Municipal Association of South Carolina, 2026]. The city is also actively recruiting a Human Resources director [City of North Myrtle Beach Careers, 2026].
Both departments will deliver their May 2026 monthly reports at Monday’s meeting [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. Oversight is a live topic as well: the council received a presentation from its outside audit firm, Greene Finney Cauley, at its June 1 meeting [North Myrtle Beach Times, 2026]. For residents tracking accountability, the timeliness and completeness of those audits are worth following directly through the city’s own records.
Conclusion
So, are taxes only the beginning? The June 15 agenda suggests the tax vote is one piece of a larger picture: new debt tied to tourism revenue, zoning changes that loosen residential limits, and senior leadership posts still being filled more than a year into the Public Works vacancy. None of this is hidden — it is all in the public agenda packet — but it rewards a closer look than the tax headline alone. The meeting is Monday, June 15, at City Hall, 1018 Second Avenue South (confirm the start time and agenda at nmb.us). Whatever a resident’s view of the budget, the fuller story of where the city is heading is on that agenda.
Further Reading
- North Myrtle Beach June 15 City Council agenda and documents: https://www.nmb.us/AgendaCenter
- First-reading budget coverage (MyHorryNews): https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/north-myrtle-beach-gives-first-reading-approval-to-190m-budget-with-tax-fee-increases/article_743b1bfb-c3ba-4e36-9705-b3a5c19776a9.html
- $18M Limited Obligation Bond ordinance (Item 6D): https://www.nmb.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/1420?fileID=4614
- Public Works director search (MyHorryNews): https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/north-myrtle-beach-searches-for-public-works-director-offering-150-000-175-000-salary/article_e0260e10-85e1-413a-8418-e3fb53583e7e.html
- City of North Myrtle Beach (official site): https://www.nmb.us/
Are Taxes Only the Beginning? What’s Really on North Myrtle Beach’s June 15 Agenda
For North Myrtle Beach residents
When the North Myrtle Beach City Council meets Monday, June 15, the headline will be the tax increase getting its final vote. But the budget is only one item on a crowded agenda that also includes millions in new borrowing, a batch of zoning changes, and a city still working to fill two senior leadership posts. Taken together, the night is less a single decision than a snapshot of a city in transition — and worth understanding line by line.
The headline: the budget and the tax increase
The council will take second (final) reading on the FY2027 budget, the tax levy, and the related fiscal-year ordinance [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. The plan raises the property tax rate from 45 to 50 mills. For the owner of a $500,000 home, the millage change adds about $8.33 a month (roughly $100 a year), while water and sewer increases add about $10.42 a month — together about $18.75 more per month [MyHorryNews, 2026].
The budget also funds a 4% employee raise effective Oct. 4 and four new general-fund positions, and if approved it takes effect July 1 [MyHorryNews, 2026]. City leaders have framed the increase as necessary for public safety and employee retention.
A closer look at “the second tax in nine years”
In defending the increase at first reading, City Manager Ryan Fabbri told the council that the move from 45 to 50 mills is “only the second tax in the past nine years [MyHorryNews, 2026] — a framing the budget materials echo as the second rate increase in nine years [MyrtleBeachSC News, 2026]. That statement is accurate as far as the city’s property tax rate goes: the millage had held at 45 mills, with the FY2026 budget carrying no increase even as Fabbri signaled one was likely coming [MyHorryNews, 2025].
The phrase is worth reading precisely, though, because it counts only the millage rate — not the full set of charges residents actually pay. Household fees have moved more often than twice in nine years: this same budget raises water and sewer bills (about $10.42 a month on a $500,000 home), lifts the stormwater fee, and doubles the water-and-sewer setup fee [MyrtleBeachSC News, 2026].
Separately, Horry County’s 2024 reassessment pushed up the assessed value — and therefore the tax bill — on many properties without any change to the rate [MyrtleBeachSC News, 2026]. So while “only the second rate increase in nine years” holds up on its own terms, a resident who hears it as “my cost of city services has risen only twice in nine years” would be drawing a broader conclusion than the number supports. Both facts can be true at once, and residents can judge the framing for themselves.
But the tax line is not the only place the city is reaching for money.
The borrowing behind the budget
Also up for second reading is a Limited Obligation Bond of up to $18 million to fund the renovation and expansion of the city’s Aquatic and Fitness Center, which was originally built in 2004 [City of North Myrtle Beach Bond Ordinance, 2026]. Importantly, this debt is not backed by property taxes: it is pledged against the city’s tourism-related accommodations fees, and the ordinance states the city’s full faith, credit, and taxing power are not committed to it [City of North Myrtle Beach Bond Ordinance, 2026].
The financing caps annual debt service at $1.8 million and runs to no later than 2041 [City of North Myrtle Beach Bond Ordinance, 2026]. Separately, the council will give second reading to a lease-purchase financing ordinance for city vehicles and equipment [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. Neither is a property-tax item, but both commit future revenue.
The zoning changes flying under the radar
While taxes draw the attention, several land-use ordinances may shape daily life just as much. On first reading, the council will consider amendments to the zoning code that would remove the maximum area and count for bedrooms and sleeping areas in residential districts — a notable change in a beach city where occupancy and rentals are a constant issue — along with new rules on the outdoor storage of personal property and clarifications to site-specific development plan requirements in Chapters 20 and 23 [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026].
A second-reading item would also amend the Hope Pointe planned development to replace previously approved townhomes with detached cottage-style homes [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. These items rarely make headlines, but they set the rules for how the city grows.
Leadership still in transition
The “shift in leadership” question is most concrete in two empty offices. The Public Works Department has operated under interim director Dana Hamilton since June 2025, after longtime director Kevin Blayton retired following 26 years of service; the city is recruiting a permanent replacement through a search firm at a salary of $150,000 to $175,000 [MyHorryNews, 2026; Municipal Association of South Carolina, 2026]. The city is also actively recruiting a Human Resources director [City of North Myrtle Beach Careers, 2026].
Both departments will deliver their May 2026 monthly reports at Monday’s meeting [City of North Myrtle Beach Agenda, 2026]. Oversight is a live topic as well: the council received a presentation from its outside audit firm, Greene Finney Cauley, at its June 1 meeting [North Myrtle Beach Times, 2026]. For residents tracking accountability, the timeliness and completeness of those audits are worth following directly through the city’s own records.
Conclusion
So, are taxes only the beginning? The June 15 agenda suggests the tax vote is one piece of a larger picture: new debt tied to tourism revenue, zoning changes that loosen residential limits, and senior leadership posts still being filled more than a year into the Public Works vacancy. None of this is hidden — it is all in the public agenda packet — but it rewards a closer look than the tax headline alone. The meeting is Monday, June 15, at City Hall, 1018 Second Avenue South (confirm the start time and agenda at nmb.us). Whatever a resident’s view of the budget, the fuller story of where the city is heading is on that agenda.
Further Reading
- North Myrtle Beach June 15 City Council agenda and documents: https://www.nmb.us/AgendaCenter
- First-reading budget coverage (MyHorryNews): https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/north-myrtle-beach-gives-first-reading-approval-to-190m-budget-with-tax-fee-increases/article_743b1bfb-c3ba-4e36-9705-b3a5c19776a9.html
- $18M Limited Obligation Bond ordinance (Item 6D): https://www.nmb.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/1420?fileID=4614
- Public Works director search (MyHorryNews): https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/north-myrtle-beach-searches-for-public-works-director-offering-150-000-175-000-salary/article_e0260e10-85e1-413a-8418-e3fb53583e7e.html
- City of North Myrtle Beach (official site): https://www.nmb.us/
