MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — City leaders took a first formal step Tuesday toward asking voters whether Myrtle Beach should replace its decades-old at-large council elections with geographic districts.
Every member present backed a plan to convene public briefings on representation. The meeting fell on Oct. 13. Charlie Barrineau of the Municipal Association of South Carolina walked through four paths: one seat per district, a blend of district and citywide seats, candidates who must live in a district but still run citywide, or a ward hybrid. The mayor’s seat would stay citywide under each option.
Residents locked in the at-large model by referendum in 1973. Mayor Mark Kruea argued the city’s growth since then makes the old map of representation feel outdated, pointing to other large South Carolina cities that already mix district and at-large seats.
Switching systems is not a council vote alone. Either the council must pass an ordinance naming one method, or petition organizers must gather signatures from 15 percent of the city’s qualified electors. Barrineau put the upfront cost of hiring map experts at $50,000 to $100,000, with the same bill returning each decade, and told members not to order maps until voters approve a change.
Among Horry County municipalities, only North Myrtle Beach already uses a mixed model, dating to its 1968 founding. Barrineau cautioned that even a fast track would struggle to finish before the 2027 municipal general election.
Myrtle Beach operates under a council-manager form of government with Mayor Mark Kruea and a six-member city council. Session dates have not been posted.
