There are only three weeks and a day left before many voters go to the polls and that includes mayoral races in Georgetown, Hartsville, North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach.
Among the candidates in Myrtle Beach is Socastee High school drama teacher Matthew McCarty who said that because he wasn't sure how he felt about the candidates running for the mayor's seat he decided two hours before the deadline a few weeks ago that he would run.
McCarty said that though he’s not a politician or even a local businessman, his city really needs a mayor who will listen to its citizens and make Myrtle Beach a welcoming destination to people of all kinds.
“I’ve now been a resident of myrtle beach for five years and I am just not happy about the way our government has been running,” said McCarty, “and as I tell my kids in my class everyday that if you don't like the way things are only you can stand up and change it."
McCarty said that he supports the bikers and realizes it’s an issue that is still hotly debated especially ever since the city's ordinances went into effect
"The first thing I want to do is reverse the helmet law I think that was a big mistake, I am personally for most of the noise ordinances I have no intentions to reverse those but I think the first thing we need to do is get rid of the helmet law and tell the bikers we're sorry,” McCarty said.
McCarty said he knows that a lot of locals and even visitors were unhappy about the one cent sales tax but he said that type of money can be used to hire more law enforcement which in turn may help keep some crime ridden parts of the city safe.
He said that if elected mayor his plans include creating more job opportunities.
"We need year round jobs here and some big business that can move into this part that can hire the locals that we have with the education that they have that doesn't necessarily require like a master's degree," explained McCarty.
"My age I know that's going to be hard to overcome,” McCarty said, “with some of the older folks in town they might think that I’m just a young whipper snapper that doesn't know what he's talking about but I am what I am."
McCarty will be running against Mayor John Rhodes, former city mayor Mark McBride, businessman Bill Howard and realtor Beatrice Catalino.
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