In 2016, current Myrtle Beach Mayor, Brenda Bethune, approached the city about buying a parcel of land beside her Anheuser Busch beer distributorship. Mayor Bethune was not mayor at that time. She owned the beer distributorship which was called Better Brands. This incident recently raised questions about a potential land swap.
Former Mayor John Rhodes, now deceased, was in charge of the City of Myrtle Beach back then. Brenda Bethune was informed by the city about their preferred interest in a land exchange, which eventually led to the land swap.
Bethune bought land for $231,000. She later exchanged this land for 4.1 acres of city-owned land through the land swap. The deed states a purchase price of $5, a customary practice in land swaps according to Bethune’s attorney, Shep Guyton.
Myrtle Beach City Council received a detailed explanation from city officials regarding the land exchange process, including its background and the necessity for the city to obtain it for a drainage pond. The land was appraised by a local appraiser, valuing it at $655,000.
Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune chose to gift the land to the City of Myrtle Beach at today’s city council meeting.
LAND SWAP – MCBRIDE DID NO RESEARCH BEFORE POPPING OFF ON SOCIAL
What a crock! Sadly picked up by 2 legacy media outlets…
Sun News and WRNN
On Facebook, McBride put up the following half baked, unresearched message:
Is MB City Council really going to vote tomorrow to pay Mayor Bethune $650,000 for a 1.45 acre lot (PIN 44401010065) Mayor Rhodes & City Council sold to her business, BJ Investment LP @ taxpayer expense, for only $5 in 2017?
Agenda item – R2022-14? In 2025?
I understand the reasoning, this had been held over for about 3 years, because the engineering design wasn’t done in 2022. Appraisal numbers for the Mayor selling are no doubt much better than 3 years ago. Acquisition is now being done because the A&I plan makes sure the stormwater gets to this lot 

In 2020, Mayor Bethune’s Council conveniently, voted by their 37th Resolution (2020-37) to make this lot owned by Mayor Bethune’s LLC (BJ Investment, LLC) a future stormwater retention pond!
The City’s contractor is waiting to begin construction of the stormwater retention pond.
The Mayor’s hired employees, her City Attorney approved the ‘legalese’ for the item to make it to the Agenda & her City Manager recommends Council to vote for the Mayor getting the $650,000. 
These 2 gentlemen are costing the taxpayers $481,000 per year (not including benefits & car allowances) while working for the mayor 
Don’t forget the Mayor owns a prime multi-story 5000SF nearly empty building adjacent to the now $30M theater she is ramrodding to completion. Upon her building being empty, will she then take ‘advantage’ the City negotiated deal with the State, to use tax credits for ‘abandoned buildings’ and receive millions during renovations ?
Within the downtown which includes the Arts & Entainment District, Mayor Bethune is arguably the largest, single, individual property owner. Roughly $115M to date, in the A&I District.
The 3 original buildings for the footprint of the theater, were purchased by the defunct Downtown Redevelopment Corporation – DRC (in essence, the City) after the Mayor’s husband negotiated the sales of the said buildings, receiving 10’s of 1000’s of dollars of real estate commissions.
Wonder who the Mayor’s attorney is?
Laura & I wanted to buy a lot she owned in Georgetown County in ‘18, if I recall, the business entity is the same one. I only recognized the owner back then, behind the business, because of Mayor had to list the business on her State Ethics Report. I met w/ her in my old office – her office now. She said she would have to talk to her attorney, Shep Guyton. He was organizing some things in her real estate portfolio. We couldn’t work it out. (interesting, Shep Guyton was also Mayor Rhodes, Registered Agent, when he bought the old Hard Rock theme park)
Who did City appraisal ? When? Really, stormwater retention acreage now bringing $448,275 per acre in MB?!!
Everything is in motion. The dirty deals are in place. Nothing to see here. What is that old Toby Keith song, No Honor Among Thieves…
Turns out McBride’s post was one big lie. Another hoax by the former mayor.
LAND SWAP not his first character attack
In the 2022 U.S. Congressional Race won by Russell Fry, McBride falsely claimed MyrtleBeachSC News bribed him to drop out of the race between Tom Rice and Fry.
The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) found his statement patently untrue.
After the race, McBride fled the City of Myrtle Beach and moved to Salem, S.C. Salem is a U.S. town in Oconee County, South Carolina. The population was 120 at the 2020 United States census.
At the end of the video found above, Mayor Bethune explained her intentions on the land swap.
Political Consultant Walter Whetsell represents Mayor Bethune in her re-election campaign this Fall. Whetsell should write McBride a check for helping her re-election bid.
Said local Myrtle Beach business owner, Tuvia Wilkes, “Mark McBride is a true clown…. and you can tell him I said that!” Another local State Representative called McBride a complete idiot.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
