Some Horry County Council members voice concerns over extending state of emergency

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – The Horry County Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday morning to make a decision on how the county will move forward in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The council met on Tuesday where they discussed extending the state of emergency, but some councilmembers are concerned about taking that action.

During the virtual meeting, it was discussed that the county is moving into a recovery phase and extending the state of emergency would allow leaders to continue to maintain recovery efforts. The emergency declaration encourages use of online service by waiving fees, modifying county office operations and purchasing needed Personal Protective Equipment for staff.

It was made clear the emergency declaration does not prohibit residents for any kind of activity, but instead, it reminds the community of the governor’s executive order.

By extending the emergency order, it will allow for the county administrator to make adjustments to county operations so they can begin to safely reopen offices. It also allows the administrator the flexibility to acquire or request resources that the county will still need as they respond to the coronavirus.

Some councilmembers were concerned about giving that kind of power to the county administrator.

Horry County Council ended up not making a decision on whether to extend the state of emergency and decided to meet again at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Horry County’s state of emergency is set to expire at noon Wednesday.