By Lolita Huckaby
BEAUFORT
One highlight from last week’s news was the fact that a record number of registered South Carolina voters went to the polls on the first day of early voting and that held true in Beaufort County.
Fifty-six thousand ballots were cast on Tuesday, May 26, the first day of early voting – 2,278 of those were from Beaufort County.
And of that number 2,278, the majority were 1,560 Democratic ballots, 718 Republican.
Going into the primaries, there are 140,749 registered voters in the county.
The significance of that early voting turnout was a key reason state senators, sparked by two of Beaufort County’s leaders, Sen. Tom Davis of District 46 and Sen. Chip Campsen, District 43, were among the 12 Republican senators who crossed over and joined with the Democrats to block the proposed congressional redistricting map which would have diminished the re-election chances of the state’s only Black Democratic senator, Jim Clyburn of the 6th Congressional District.
The Senate, after debating for most of the Memorial Day weekend, agreed since the early voting had already begun, it was too late to change the congressional maps. But they agreed to return to work on the issue June 10, the day after the primary election.
As Clyburn stated in multiple interviews, the Senators will come back and they’re coming for his district, per directions from the White House.
If you followed the discussion, several compelling arguments were made, including the prediction that a special election for the congressional seats alone, if the redrawn map had been approved and the Congressional races delayed until August, would have cost between $5.3 and $6 million.
The legislators, among all the additions to the redistricting bill, agreed the counties would have to pay the costs for a special election.
In the meantime, we have another week to tolerate the multitude of political signs that litter our landscape. Maybe longer for those races that might end up in a runoff, like the GOP or Democratic governor’s races, which have multiple candidates or the First Congressional District race.
Then on to November.
FYI: If you’re looking for additional background information about the various candidates, visit Vote 411 or Ballotpedia on your computer. Both have bios on state and local candidates.
County budget talks continue; no news on CFO
BEAUFORT — No news on the “Pinky-gate” drama from the County Council chambers although the council members have had four official executive sessions while another was scheduled for Monday, June 1, to discuss “issues related to the employment of a person regulated by council.”
By the time The Island News rolls off the press, the question may be answered as to what happened with Chief Finance Officer Pinky Harriott who suddenly left the county on May 12 in the middle of budget session and after 18 months with the county. But in the meantime, nobody’s talking.
The county public information officer would only confirm she was no longer with the county.
The Council stumbled through first reading of the FY 2027 budget presentation at $203.3 million last week with Administrator Michael Moore juggling the council members’ funding proposals. There is no millage increases although tax revenues are expected to be $11.7 million. Thirty-five new positions are included in the budget.
The band of 11 were also able to give unanimous first reading approval to the school district’s $395.3 million budget which includes no millage increases but is $18.4 million higher than last year. The school budget also includes a $2,500 increases to a starting teacher’s pay to $62,587 as part of their ongoing hiring campaign.
And for those interested in Sheriff’s P.J. Tanner’s request last year for a $3.9 million helicopter to replace the two they already have, the council approved taking $1.95 million from the current budget, probably as a farewell present to the outgoing law enforcement official. Next year’s budget includes $1.1 million for hangar improvements for said helicopter.
Mayor Billy visits council for Seabrook development
BEAUFORT — Last week’s Beaufort City Council worksession included a blast from the past, in the presence of former Mayor Bill Keyserling who was there to advocate for the development of 200 areas in the Seabrook area.
Keyserling, who was Beaufort mayor from 2008 to 2020 and is still a real estate developer, has been working with the W.H. McLeod family and now a developer who is interested in developing the property.
But following a contentious public debate in 2007 when the adjoining 3,500 acres of Clarendon Plantation was annexed into the city, the McLeod’s withdrew their request for annexation and placed conservation easements on their property.
City Council members, during last week’s discussion, made it clear they weren’t interested in annexing the property. But they also want to hear from county planning officials who have the authority to negotiate any resolution of the conservation easements if the developer chooses to proceed with plans for affordable housing.
Talking about development, Port Royal’s nightmares coming true
PORT ROYAL — Speaking of developments, and most of us are, the town of Port Royal continues to be the hot spot.
In addition to Mariners Walk with 123 units and where land is being cleared in front of The Preserve on Ribaut Road, there is:
— Shearwater, with 145 single family homes and two two-story commercial buildings at the foot of the Broad River Bridge and;
— Carolina Lakes and Overland Reserve, both on Castle Rock Road, where no trees have been left standing. Carolina Lakes is 152 single-family units and Overland Reserve, 340.
There’s also Zephyr Apartments, near Castle Rock Road but on Gopher Hill Road, where 122 apartment units are already being occupied.
Remember at the 2024 town council planning retreat when the officials expressed concern about 1,500 plus new housing units in the works? They weren’t kidding.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. The Rowland, N.C. native’s goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.