By Lolita Huckaby
BEAUFORT
Last week’s column lead with news of the annual Point in Time count of local “unsheltered” individuals, a project lead by Beaufort County’s Human Services staff and volunteers.
This week, we learn that county officials, as part of the annual budget preparations, are proposing to eliminate this five-member department to save money.
The proposal, which was scheduled to be presented to the Council at Monday’s meeting (Feb. 9), is a result of the Council’s vote last year directing Administrator Michael Moore to work with the finance department to reduce millage, which almost seems like a no-brainer.
Elimination of the Human Services Department appears to be first on the list. The plan seems to be merging the department’s responsibilities with the Nexus Care division (formerly Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse) which, obviously, provides services for individuals suffering alcohol or drug abuse.
It’s unclear whether the Nexus staff is prepared to handle the additional functions including the county’s Community Services grant program, which last year saw $398,000 tax dollars distributed to 36 nonprofit agencies including HELP of Beaufort, Memory Matters, Lowcountry Legal Aid, and Family Promise, to name a few.
Councilman Gerald Dawson of District 1 is the only member of the 11-member Council who was on the Council prior to 2013 when county officials established the Community Services Department to help streamline the grant process.
Prior to its establishment, representatives of the various nonprofits in the county lobbied members of Council to get a share of the tax dollars allocated for “human services.”
And lobby they did. Elected council members spent a lot of time behind closed doors and in public, making sure their favorite nonprofits got a piece of the pie.
With the establishment of the Community Services Department, an application system was established with specific criteria, reviewed by a committee which recommended funding approval to the Council.
Last year, during the council’s discussion of the $199 million 2026 county budget, there was a question raised by Council Vice Chair Tab Tabernick that perhaps citizens didn’t approve of the way the money for nonprofits was distributed.
So apparently, the administrative staff answer is to do away with the department and delegate its functions to another agency.
It will be interesting to see what other changes will be proposed to balance the 2027 budget especially with the cuts already being made at the federal and state level.
It may take careful observation since budget preparations often garner little public interest unless some major cuts or additions are proposed.
A county spokeswoman describing the proposed change stated “no patient care will be affected.”
Again, citizens concerned about how their tax dollars are being spent and what services are being provided, will have to watch carefully.
Sales tax committee begins its work
Beaufort County’s transportation advisory committee is up and running.
The first meeting was held last week. A chair and vice-chair were chosen, former Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka and Glen Stanford of Hilton Head Island.
Then the panel of 15 was given a stern lecture by county administrators on their upcoming job responsibilities and legal limitations.
The group is expected to review the lists and priorities of transportation projects within in the county and make a recommendation back to the County Council. That recommendation has been pushed back from April 3 to May 11.
The Council’s goal is to have something to put on the November ballot for voters to consider for another sales tax to fund that list of road projects.
Most remember the list was turned down in 2024, and anyone who drives the roads of northern or southern Beaufort County knows the need for improved roads, be it wider roads, new roads or more traffic signals.
For more detailed information about the advisory committee’s progress or information about previous sales tax referendum, go to beaufortcountypenny.com
City considering Facebook changes, expanding social drinking
As if the Beaufort City Council didn’t have enough to occupy their time — what with the
“Big Dig” going on down Charles Street and waterfront park infrastructure problems – now they’re considering what people are saying about them on Facebook.
Staff last month suggested the council remove the “public comment” feature from the City of Beaufort’s Facebook which is used primarily for making announcements about road closures, snow events, new fire trucks or council proclamations.
But increasingly, those comments, especially the ones dealing with the Charles Street stormwater drainage project, have turned into criticisms about the city staff.
City Manager Scott Marshall, in introducing the proposal at the last worksession, explained it was taking staff time to respond to the comments, especially when misinformation was being spread.
He suggested if the Council did not want to adopt a “no comments” policy, he would recommend hiring a social media manager to moderate the postings.
While Council took no action on the suggestion, the online comments, as one might imagine, have been largely negative, in light of the city administration’s perpetual pledge to transparency and accessibility.
The council is moving forward with a plan to establish a five-block “social district” along Bay Street which would allow folks to walk around with plastic cups of beer and wine … no liquor.
The staff working with downtown representatives came up with this idea to help promote nighttime business in the area.
The plan now is to try the project on a 90-day basis, starting April Fool’s Day.
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.