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Commission debates who should pay for markers as members flag shipping and production costs
Summary
Members stressed that the commission should focus county-funded markers on sites without an organization behind them and warned applicants that marker manufacture and review/shipping services carry costs (members cited about $3,500 per marker and roughly $300 for shipping/review).
Commissioners spent substantial time clarifying expectations about who pays for historical markers and what the commission will and will not subsidize.
Several commissioners said the commission should prioritize markers for sites that lack an organization to fund them and should not routinely pay for markers requested by churches, schools or private owners. One member gave what the meeting record described as an approximate current manufacture cost for a marker and another cited a fee staff said is charged for review/shipping.
"1st of all, they cost, dollars 3,500 now, don't they? Each," the chair asked during the discussion about marker funding, describing the current per-marker expense. Members also noted a referenced review/shipping fee of about $300 for sending information to outside reviewers.
Participants discussed limits on staff involvement: while the commission can help applicants with wording and documentation, commissioners warned against committing to pay for casting or shipping unless private funds are provided. Staff and commissioners said they can help applicants prepare wording and documentation and can refer them to the county's vendor or the Horry County Historical Society process if applicants prefer to pay privately.
