Speaking to a group of concerned residents at Horry Georgetown Technical College, candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Kruea stated, “Myrtle Beach is only 2 percent of Horry County. And yet, as Myrtle Beach goes, so goes Horry County. We have lost our direction.“
Residents of Myrtle Beach expressed to MyrtleBeachSC News their significant worries regarding the present city leadership. The expensive and, yet, misdirected attention on investing millions in a crime-infested downtown area, along with recent shootings during weekends on and near Ocean Boulevard, has worn out locals and damaged the city’s reputation.
“We have got to get our priorities straight,” said candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Kruea.
Candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Kruea
“From a resident standpoint, they are feeling neglected,” said Kruea. “As I have talked to the business community, over the last several months, I have learned that everyone to a person, they feel as though they need to follow the city’s lead… that there is no opportunity for a different point of view with the city.
“If they don’t follow the city’s direction, then there may be a push back a bullying, that sort of thing,” Kruea added.
Candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Kruea previously worked for the City of Myrtle Beach as its Public Information Officer. He offers a new vision for the city that includes all residents, not just a handful of insiders in the downtown Arts and Innovation District.
Among the largest land owners in the Downtown Arts and Innovation District is current Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune. Bethune is choosing to run for a 3rd term as Myrtle Beach Mayor this November 4th.
She has taken heat from local business owners after a Police Officer involved Mass Shooting that occurred on April 26th. Bethune told national and local news that the issues downtown would not change unless new investors got involved.
Most business owners felt she was asking tourists to avoid the city for the Summer 2025 season. This was upsetting to many. Bethune also blamed the merchants for shooting incidents caused by unsupervised teenagers who live within a 100 mile circumference of the town.
These unsupervised teens are rarely locked up for truancy. They visit in cluster groups alone, unsupervised by their adult parents. 100 milers are the number one cause of crime on and around Ocean Boulevard.
Candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Kruea was welcomed as a breath of fresh air by HCGOP Chairman Reese Boyd. His comments can be heard in the video included in this article.
The election between candidate for Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark Kruea and incumbent Brenda Bethune will be held Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
