By Graham Trask
The Beaufort Economic Development Corporation (BCEDC) spit in the face of Beaufort County Council at their March 26, 2026, board meeting.
Back in December 2025, County Council and even the BCEDC’s own board refused to fund a $1.6 million purchase for 10 overpriced acres on St. Helena for a “cultural arts center and entrepreneurial market.” The construction of the buildings themselves would have cost yet another $14 million dollars. However, unknown to the public and some Council members, the BCEDC director and board apparently schemed in secret to buy this land anyway, ignoring the County’s express wishes against it.
This flimflam involved re-routing $1 million dollars that the South Carolina Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Agency (SCPRT) specifically earmarked, and entrusted to, the BCEDC for the purchase of vacant land for an arts center/market, conditioned on County Council’s approval.
After the County voted against it because the land was overpriced, the BCEDC and its Board did an end-run of the decision by seemingly “laundering” the money through the Open Land Trust (OLT) on the sly.
A maneuver like this is commonly referred to as a “straw man” or “pass through” transaction, so named because the entity which consummates the transaction is not the intended buyer (in this case, the buyer was supposed to be the BCEDC, not the OLT). This subversive tactic may sidestep Council’s previous decision, although it’s unclear whether Council must still give final approval to yet another one of BCEDC’s circumventions.
The “brains” behind this underhanded ploy appear to be the BCEDC’s executive director, John O’Toole, and the County’s District 3 representative, York Glover, along with the sellers, one of whom is conveniently married to the vice chair of the OLT itself. What a cozy arrangement!
Recall during the land parcel rejection by County Council this past December, council members questioned the excessive $1.6 million-dollar ($160,000 per acre) price tag, far above comparable market prices on St. Helena. In his used car salesman way, O’Toole justified the excessive cost by providing an appraisal which erroneously asserted land prices on St. Helena were comparable to prices along some of Northern Beaufort County’s most commercial, and therefore expensive, roadways.
It’s not clear if re-routing the money to the OLT is legal. The BCEDC and OLT apparently tried to enlist Tom Davis, District 46 S.C. Senator, to apparently not only represent them in Columbia toward SCPRT, but also for his firm, Harvey and Battey, to represent both the seller and the buyer on the transaction itself. Colden Battey, who is both counsel and partial namesake at Harvey and Battey, is also on OLT’s board. It is now understood that both Senator Davis and Harvey and Battey are no longer involved in the transaction nor will Sen. Davis be involved in lobbing SCPRT on behalf of the BCEDC and OLT – good call!
All this gets us to the core issue: why is this particular parcel so important to O’Toole and Glover? Why would these two exert so much time, energy and machinations to spend your money, well over market value at that, for a single parcel of land, while openly defying County Council in the process?
It also begs the question how the original need on St. Helena for a $3 million dollar community center, to include land and buildings, morphed into a $14 million-dollar cultural arts center and entrepreneurial market. A million dollars would have gone a long way to fund the former community center, while it is just a drop in the bucket for a bloated, questionable $14 million-dollar project.
The role of the OLT also remains puzzling. Why agree to effectively intermediate a deal that has the appearance of “laundering” $1 million dollars for the BCEDC? The related party conflict between the seller parties and the OLT’s vice chair also raises speculation (and eyebrows).
While a community center on St. Helena is understandably needed, a $14 million-dollar taxpayer funded boondoggle to Glover is not. O’Toole and the BCEDC board, chaired by Joel Braun, an executive at Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative, seem prepared to play fast and loose to get this transaction done. It is hoped that County Council not only insists their legal counsel evaluate this scheme but also blocks it once again!
Graham B. Trask grew up in Beaufort and continues to be a resident of Beaufort. He owns a home in Beaufort’s landmark historic district. He also owns several businesses as well as residential and commercial real estate located throughout the City of Beaufort and specifically in the historic district. He adds value to almost 50 different resident business owner tenants to help them grow their enterprises. He is also the president of Protect Beaufort Foundation, Inc., and Beautiful Beaufort Open Land Trust. Contact him at Graham@grahamtrask.com.