By Lolita Huckaby
BEAUFORT – Remember that 1 percent transportation sales tax which was designed to raise $950 million over a 10-year period, the one Beaufort County voters rejected by a 56-44 percent margin last November?
Well, Beaufort County Council members and the planning staff haven’t forgotten and they’re still working on a plan to address citizens’ complaints about traffic concerns.
One of the reasons voters rejected the proposed sales tax was the number of uncompleted projects from that 2018 list. Northern Beaufort County voters complained prior to the 2024 referendum all they saw from the 2018 vote was a new turning lane at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 21 and S.C. 802.
In an effort to remedy that concern and in anticipation of going to the voters again in another referendum, probably in 2026, the County Council voted last week on a resolution outlining how those remaining dollars would be spent.
At the top of that resolution, of course, is construction of a new three-lane bridge on U.S. 278 to Hilton Head Island. That project, as most anyone knows who pays attention to ANY county road construction conversation, seems to be a moving target in terms of funding. Federal, state and local dollars in various amounts have been tied to this project, which now has a $311 million estimated price tag, for the past decade.
The council’s revised list of improvements focuses on two major areas of improvements that remain on the 2018 “to do list:” improvements to the Lady’s Island traffic corridor and pathways, aka, sidewalks.
These are not new projects; they’ve been discussed and revised after numerous public meetings and committee discussions.
The Lady’s Island projects include: extending the four lanes of U.S. 21 past Walmart; creating a new access road to Lady’s Island Middle school with a signalized intersection at Gay Drive; paving the unpaved part of Hazel Farm Road; and construction of a roundabout at intersection with Gay Drive; new speed limits and speed humps on Miller Drive West and Sunset Boulevard.
The northern Beaufort County pathway projects include Salem Road; Stuart Point Road; MLK Drive on St. Helena; Big Estate Road; and Broad River Boulevard beginning at Broad River Elementary School and parts of Broad River Road from Shell Point Drive to Lowcountry Montessori.
According to other newspaper reports, at least a half-dozen counties which experienced voter defeat in 2024 sales tax referendums are also at work on plans for another campaign. Charleston County, for example, has already hired a marketing firm to help them “build trust and improve public awareness” for a future referendum.
Beaufort County Council hasn’t publicly discussed bringing in a marketing firm, but elected officials are working, in these hot, summer days, to make their efforts public.
Rotarians reach out to Sister City
BEAUFORT – Kudos to members of the three Beaufort Rotary clubs who joined together for a meal last week and a zoom meeting with the mayor of Ostroh, Ukraine.
In 2022, the city of Beaufort, following the leadership of then Mayor Stephen Murray, adopted Ostroh as an unofficial “sister city,” stressing the similarities of a deep historic and cultural community. Last week’s meeting was an opportunity to get an update from the spokesman who said their town had lost much in the war with Russian but still determined to fight.
The Rotarians raised a reported $135,000 to send to the city for medical supplies and living necessities, and they hope to do more, according to members.
As Robert McAlister of Beaufort, who lived in Ukraine for 10 years, told WSAV-TV, “They’re not looking for a handout. They’re looking for a hand up. What that means is just being in real partnership together with others that’ll stand with them as they do the work that they need to do themselves to keep their country safe and a free land.”
School bells getting ready
BEAUFORT – Water Festival 2025…it’s behind us. And while Mother Nature wasn’t particularly nice, in terms of weather, the dedicated volunteers of this 69th 10-day extravaganza made it all happen!
Next up… back to school. And for those not directly involved in the education of our next generation, public schools reopen their doors to students Wednesday, Aug. 6. Morning traffic will be returning to “normal,” whatever that is.
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. Her goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.
