Horry County Council Chairwoman Liz Gilland is back from a much-criticized trip to Dubai, where she, along with other South Carolina leaders, sought out possible economic development opportunities for the region.
Gilland said the trip opened her eyes to possibilities for bringing industry to Horry County and northeastern South Carolina, but stopped short of offering any specifics of projects she and her team were exploring.
"I'm much more encouraged now that I've been," Gilland said in an interview with News13 Tuesday afternoon. "The opportunities are really tremendous."
Gilland's trip, which she acknowleged came out of her county travel budget, drew the ire of local media and her fellow council members, including one of the newest councilmen, Gary Loftus.
Loftus countered in a story with News13 earlier this year that the county had an economic development director, and that person should be making the trip.
Others have questioned whether the county should be footing the bill for trips across the globe when county workers are feeling the budget pinch on the streets of Horry County.
"I knew this trip would raise eyebrows, but I didn't know it would kind of get so ugly," Gilland said Tuesday.
She said she feels the value of what could come out of the trip would far outweigh what some consider an unpopular choice on her behalf.
"The potential is huge," she said. "What may come back may mean jobs for people in this area, would mean some very positive things for people in this entire area. I'm more hopeful about that" than "doing it for my reputation."
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