5/15/2026
FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK:
Since this is my first letter to you as Mayor, I wanted to take a moment to share a bit about myself and the vision I have for our community. I grew up in a beach town — Margate, New Jersey, on the same island as Atlantic City. Yes, I am proudly a Jersey girl. I always dreamed of retiring near the water, and Texas quickly felt like the right place, especially with family nearby in Oklahoma. The very first time we crossed the bridge into Surfside, I knew I was home.
That feeling is what inspired me to run for Mayor. My goal is simple but meaningful: to continue building a better Surfside. That means addressing our infrastructure challenges, strengthening the foundation of our town, and creating a place where families, residents, and visitors feel welcome, safe, and proud to be.
I believe in planning for the future, so I intend to work with our community to develop five -year and ten-year goals that give us all something to strive toward. I want these plans to reflect your voices, your priorities, and your hopes for Surfside. My role is to help guide us forward — but the vision belongs to all of us.
As I begin this new chapter, I look forward to meeting more of you in person. I love Surfside, and I love the people who make it special. I promise to listen, to learn, and to work every day to help bring your ideas and dreams for our town to life.
See you on the beach.
Mayor Marsha Hines
CITY ADMINISTRATOR COMMUNITY UPDATE:
The energy on the island is shifting as we gear up for Jeep Weekend. We are expecting several thousand visitors to join us over the next few days to enjoy our beautiful beaches. While this is an exciting time for our local economy, I’m asking everyone for a little extra patience as we share our island with our guests. Traffic will be heavy, so please plan accordingly and keep that famous Surfside grace on full display.
Our Beach and Parks crew have been working to prepare for the crowds. You’ll notice ten new porta-potties have been placed along the beach, and we’ve freshly sealed the picnic tables and the ramp at the Waterfront Stage area.
Road work on Blue Water Highway is also in the home stretch and should be finished by tomorrow.
We’ve also replaced numerous broken trash cans and replaced weathered street and beach signs to keep everything looking sharp.
For our residents on Swordfish Lane, you should notice an improvement in your water quality. Our utility crews found that our standard flushing routine wasn’t quite enough for that specific area, so we’ve moved to a more frequent schedule to ensure your water remains clear and consistent.
Our regular vacuum sewer maintenance and monthly meter reads are also moving along on schedule.
In the digital space, we are working hard to make City Hall more accessible. We’ve scrubbed the website for ADA compliance and updated all our listed office hours to reflect our current 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Monday–Friday) schedule.
We’ve also launched an internal IT Help Desk to help our staff handle requests more efficiently, which translates to faster service for you and additional tax dollar savings!
Code Compliance has made some great progress on community aesthetics. Thanks to the voluntary cooperation of our neighbors, three junk vehicles have been removed recently.
Our Building Official has also been busy inspecting new food vendors setting up for the weekend, ensuring they have the proper fire and health permits so everyone can celebrate safely.
Speaking of safety, you’ll notice our beach booths are now staffed seven days a week through Labor Day. We want to make sure there is always someone available to help our visitors and residents navigate the beach responsibly.
Finally, because we know a healthy team is an effective team, we are launching a new Employee Wellness Program this Monday. It’s our way of making sure the men and women who serve you every day have the support they need to stay healthy and motivated.
We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Jeep Weekend here in Surfside Beach.
Fair Winds & Following Seas,
William