The state of South Carolina has made annexation or incorporation a tough proposition. This is particularly so if an unincorporated area such as Little River wants to become incorporated as a town or city.

The state especially discourages incorporation when the area is within five miles of an existing municipality, according to Howard Duvall, the executive director of the South Carolina Municipal Association.

That, of course, fits to a T the situation in Little River, where an ad hoc committee of citizens has been studying the pros and cons, the benefits and costs, of self-determination; that is, no longer being governed and its destiny controlled by Horry County Council whose members, except for one, are unaccountable to Little River residents. ...

Annexation is much more easily done if requested by property owners. This was highlighted by the recent annexation of 20 acres on Kingsport Road by North Myrtle Beach. The city received a request for annexation from the owners of the property, and soon it was in North Myrtle Beach.

Difficulties notwithstanding, population growth and other dynamics send a clear signal that Little River's ad hoc group should press ahead on its study.

The actions by County Council and North Myrtle Beach suggest that, in time, these governments will only further erode Little River's quest for having better control of its destiny.

The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News