North Myrtle Beach in the Spotlight: A Shaky Transition in City Leadership
Things have been pretty heated in North Myrtle Beach lately. If you haven’t heard, the city has been in a bit of a pickle with their city manager situation. Just a few weeks ago, the city council made headlines when they removed their city manager, Mike Mahaney, and had him sign a confidentiality agreement regarding the end of his employment. To add fuel to the fire, the council has denied several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, which some legal experts claim is against the law.
The Importance of Transparency
It’s no secret that transparency is crucial when it comes to public service. After all, the decisions these officials make affect all of us here in North Myrtle Beach. Legal expert Taylor Smith from the South Carolina Press Association has weighed in on the matter. He pointed out that the council’s refusal to provide information under the FOIA requests doesn’t seem to follow the legal guidelines. According to him, if a city wants to hold back information, they have to follow the law that allows for certain exemptions—by redacting sensitive information rather than simply saying “no” across the board.
Diving Deeper into the Denials
In fact, two separate FOIA requests for Mahaney’s personnel file were submitted about a month apart; both were denied. The reason given? That it was a “personal nature” issue, which they claimed would lead to an “unreasonable invasion of personal privacy.” However, it’s hard not to raise an eyebrow at that justification, especially when Mahaney’s salary (a whopping $253,010.42) and contract details were disclosed.
The new acting city manager, Ryan Fabbri, also faced similar FOIA requests, and the city cited the same reason to keep his personnel file under wraps. Curious minds discovered that Fabbri makes $130,000, but that’s about all the information that came out. Attempting to get more information, an email sent to Fabbri on October 22, asking for his personnel file, went unanswered as of this past Thursday morning. Talk about being left in the dark!
Text Messages and More Denials
But the drama doesn’t stop there. A FOIA request was submitted looking for text messages involving Mahaney from city council members and Fabbri, among others. What was received? Just five unclear screenshots of texts with no senders identified and certainly lacking important details like dates. When another request was made for who sent those texts, it got a partial denial. The city cited again that sharing names and numbers would infringe on personal privacy rights, despite a strong push from several legal experts who believe public employees’ communications are fair game.
The Big Picture
These events have left many folks in North Myrtle Beach asking questions. It’s important to remember that when it comes to public officials, their communications and actions are often part of the public record. While Mahaney was put on paid administrative leave starting on September 19 and eventually led to a paid resignation agreement of over $300,000 just last month, many residents feel they deserve more clarity on the situation and its ramifications for our city.
As it stands, there is still a request pending with the city for a copy of Mahaney’s resignation letter. It’s a waiting game now, and we’ll be watching closely as events unfold in North Myrtle Beach. After all, we all want to ensure our local government operates as transparent as possible for the well-being of our beloved community.
Author: STAFF HERE MYRTLE BEACH
The HERE Myrtle Beach Staff Writers are a collaborative team of journalists, editors, and local contributors passionate about delivering accurate, timely information to the Myrtle Beach community. As part of the HEREcity.com Network, which powers over 100 U.S. city sites including HEREcolumbia.com, our staff draws on collective experience in South Carolina journalism to cover everything from business sales and real estate developments to dining deals and community initiatives. Our Expertise and Background Local Roots in Myrtle Beach Our team includes lifelong Myrtle Beach residents and SC natives with deep knowledge of the area’s history, economy, and culture. We’ve covered key events like the recent developments along the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach’s tourism and hospitality industry, and growth in local education sectors (e.g., Coastal Carolina University programs). Collective Experience With over 50 combined years in journalism, our staff has backgrounds in print, digital media, and community reporting. We prioritize fact-based stories, drawing from sources like the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, city government records, and on-the-ground interviews. Commitment to Quality Every article is a group effort, involving research, editing, and verification to ensure reliability. We adhere to journalistic standards, citing credible sources and updating content as new details emerge.
