Public news and announcements are brought to you by the Horry County Public Information Office.
On July 16, 2018 in County News, Events
On July 16, 2018 in County News
Horry County Government officials, in partnership with leaders from the City of Myrtle Beach, the City of Conway, Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation, and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, announce the launch of the new Grand Strand Opportunity Zones website: www.grandstrandopportunityzones.com. The site is designed to promote targeted local communities within Horry County to potential investors and developers.
Congress established the Opportunity Zone program nationwide as a part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The primary goal of the program is to encourage long-term private investments in low-income communities, thereby encouraging job creation and economic growth. The program provides a federal tax incentive for taxpayers who reinvest unrealized capital gains into “Opportunity Funds,” specialized vehicles dedicated to investing in low-income areas called “Opportunity Zones.” Up to 15% of capital gains liability can be exempted if a qualifying investment is held in an opportunity fund for 7 years. Additionally, no capital gains tax would be due on the appreciation of the investment after 10 years.
The zones themselves are comprised of low-income census tracts and designated by governors in every state. South Carolina designated 25 percent of its 538 qualifying census tracts as Opportunity Zones. The website highlights the 6 selected opportunity zones in Myrtle Beach, Conway, Loris, and Aynor. The webpage for each zone includes information on the area and key data points on population, income, retail sales, and homeownership. In addition, the website includes information on local resources like transportation, education, and utilities, connecting prospective businesses with the tools they need to understand the potential for development in these areas. Each area profile also includes potential areas for investment where local leaders have identified opportunities for growth. Excitement is growing for the potential benefits of the program, as voiced by local civic leaders.
Quotes
“When we help grow business in these areas, it helps everyone. Investment in these zones will help us revitalize neighborhoods and improve the area for residents and visitors.” --Mayor Brenda Bethune, City of Myrtle Beach
“The City of Conway is growing and we are elated about these incentives for businesses to invest in critical areas in our community.” --Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy, City of Conway
“We are pleased with the designation of opportunity zones in Horry County from Governor McMaster. We would like to thank the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation, and our local municipal partners for their commitment to making this kind of local investment a reality.” --Mark Lazarus, Horry County Council Chairman
“Thriving local communities make the Grand Strand a great place to live, work and visit. The business community appreciates the hard work from our federal, state, and local government partners to keep our local economy growing.” --Jan Hollar, Interim CEO Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
“We will use this new site as another tool to continue to attract essential business investment to our region, bringing valuable development to the area and boosting the local economy.”
--Josh Kay, President and CEO of Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation
On July 13, 2018 in Weekly Update
Click HERE for Horry County Government's meetings, agendas, releases and road construction for the week of July 16-20, 2018.
On July 13, 2018 in County News
Conway, South Carolina – The Horry County Board of Registration and Elections will conduct a routine test of the 650 Scanner used to count absentee ballots on Election Day, July 24, 2018. The test will be held Friday, July 20, 2018, at 9 a.m. at the Horry County Registration & Elections Office located at 1515 4th Avenue in Conway.
For more information, contact Horry County Registration & Elections at 843-915-5440.
On July 6, 2018 in Weekly Update
Click HERE for Horry County Government's meetings, agendas, events, releases and road construction for the week of July 9-13, 2018.
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