Legends Drive special tax district awaits final vote by Horry County Council

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the special tax district will be effective once Horry County Council approves the third reading of an ordinance.

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County leaders on Tuesday unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance creating what would be a special tax district to pay for repairs on Legends Drive.

County council must approve a third reading of the ordinance for it go into effect.

Property owners in the area voted 385-182 in a July referendum asking the county council to form the district. Council member Michael Masciarelli said Tuesday the assessment would cost taxpayers an average of $176 annually.

Officials say it would take nearly $2.5 million to upgrade Legends Drive, with additional expenses for maintenance.

Those who live near the private road claim it has not been maintained by the owner. They have tried to find multiple solutions since the early 1990’s and believed a special tax district is the only way to get it fixed.

Many neighbors signed a petition for the special election that allows residents to vote on implementing a tax to repair the road. They said not maintaining the road is dangerous for the community.

“If you turn off of it right now onto (Highway) 501, the first thing you’re going to see is a giant pothole with a traffic cone in it,” said Alan Manuel, who owns a home off Legends Drive. “It is endangering public safety.”

As a private road, the county has no authority to make repairs or send law enforcement into the area. It’s fallen upon property owners to shore it up since a holding company that owns Legends Drive has refused to do so.

“Nobody likes more taxes, but something has to be done,” resident Steve Perry said Tuesday. “We had a vote. The vote passed by 29 percentage points, so we’d just like to get on with it and this road fixed.”

Council members said they understood the frustration some have in absorbing another tax, but pointed to similar districts that are in place in other parts of the county with private roads.

“We are not going to spend public money on private roads. It’s that simple,” councilman Gary Loftus said. “I would strongly suggest you people get the special tax district to get your roads up to county standards, so it could be taken into the county. It’s the only way it’s going to happen.”

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.