Candidates weigh in on issues ahead of June 9 primary election
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Ahead of the June 9 primary election, The Island News sent detailed candidate questionnaires to those running in several contested local and state races impacting Beaufort County voters.
Questionnaires were sent to candidates in the Beaufort County Sheriff Republican primary, Beaufort County Council District 4 and District 5 Republican primaries, and the South Carolina House District 121 Democratic primary. Each questionnaire included a general candidate information section, along with 10 issue-focused questions tailored specifically to the office being sought.
Questions focused on topics currently impacting Beaufort County and the Lowcountry, including public safety, gang activity, growth and infrastructure, affordable housing, transparency in government, Pine Island and the Cultural Protection Overlay, property insurance costs, education, environmental concerns and the relationship between local and state government.
Candidates were also invited to submit guest opinion columns as part of the publication’s election coverage.
All candidates contacted by The Island News participated in the questionnaire process and submitted responses.
Due to print space limitations, only portions of candidate responses appeared in print. Each candidate’s questionnaire responses appear in their entirety at the end of this story.
Beaufort County Council District 4
Republican candidates Michael Andersen and Thomas Grygowski both centered their County Council District 4 campaigns on growth, infrastructure and protecting Beaufort County’s character, though the two candidates often approached those issues from different perspectives.
Andersen, an accountant who lives in Mossy Oaks, moved to Beaufort County full time in 2020 after growing up in a military family. He currently serves on the City of Beaufort’s Parks and Trees Advisory Committee and said he is running because residents increasingly feel “growth is happening around them instead of for them.”
Grygowski, a retired Marine Corps officer and current USC Beaufort student, has lived in Beaufort County for 16 years non-consecutively due to military service and currently lives in Spanish Point with his wife, Ericka, a Navy veteran, and their two daughters. Grygowski said he is focused on common-sense growth, infrastructure and limiting tax impacts on residents.
When asked about the most pressing issue facing Beaufort County residents, both candidates pointed toward growth-related concerns.
Andersen identified infrastructure as the county’s top issue, arguing development has continued without roads, drainage, schools and public services keeping pace.
“Infrastructure should be planned ahead of growth, not treated as an afterthought once problems already exist,” Andersen wrote.
Grygowski pointed to unchecked growth and the financial burden of repeated tax referendums as the county’s most pressing issue, arguing residents are increasingly feeling the effects of rapid development.
Both candidates agreed current development regulations are insufficient to manage Beaufort County’s continued growth.
Andersen argued the county must strengthen impact standards and conduct more realistic evaluations of how major projects affect roads, schools, drainage, emergency services and overall quality of life before approvals are granted. He also voiced support for proposed state concurrency legislation tying development approvals to available infrastructure capacity.
Grygowski similarly described current regulations as outdated and said the county should review previously approved developments while better coordinating infrastructure planning with future growth.
Infrastructure priorities were another major area of agreement between the candidates.
Andersen specifically highlighted traffic congestion along Highway 170, the McTeer Bridge, Savannah Highway Spur and the Parris Island Gateway corridor, calling for intersection upgrades, stormwater improvements and stronger coordination between Beaufort County, municipalities and the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Grygowski emphasized schools, public safety infrastructure and improving roads to keep pace with growth, saying teachers deserve better commutes and balanced class sizes while emergency services and infrastructure must expand cohesively alongside development.
Both candidates also supported changes to state law surrounding affordable housing tax exemptions, which county leaders have warned could significantly impact local government revenues.
Andersen said he supports a “full repeal and rewrite” of the current law, arguing the exemptions could eventually cost affected Beaufort County jurisdictions millions in lost revenue while still placing demands on roads, schools and emergency services.
Grygowski similarly criticized what he described as loopholes benefiting large corporations while placing additional strain on small communities and taxpayers.
The candidates also addressed workforce housing and development pressures throughout the county.
Andersen said Beaufort County should shift away from relying so heavily on large apartment complexes and instead encourage more “missing middle” housing such as duplexes, townhomes and cottage developments that create opportunities for homeownership while placing less strain on infrastructure.
Grygowski said affordable housing solutions should vary depending on the community and emphasized collaboration between residents, employers, municipalities and county leadership while encouraging long-term housing stability and ownership opportunities.
Pine Island and the Cultural Protection Overlay also emerged as a significant topic within the candidates’ responses.
Andersen strongly supported maintaining and defending the CPO, arguing communities such as St. Helena Island should retain the ability to preserve their cultural identity and protect themselves from unchecked development.
“Once places like St. Helena lose their character and cultural identity, they do not get it back,” Andersen wrote.
Grygowski said the county “listened to the people and voted accordingly” regarding Pine Island and noted the matter is currently in litigation. He also supported continuing to defend the Cultural Protection Overlay, arguing property owners assume zoning and ordinance risks when purchasing land and noting those decisions impact the broader community and Beaufort County’s long-term character.
On rebuilding public trust following the Eric Greenway administration controversy, Andersen proposed creating an independent internal audit office focused on financial controls, spending oversight and operational accountability. He also pointed to his experience working in both local and federal government oversight roles.
Grygowski said rebuilding public trust following the controversy requires ethical leadership, integrity and a “fresh start” from newly elected council members. He said county leaders must demonstrate accountability through their actions and conduct themselves appropriately as public representatives.
When asked why voters should choose them, Andersen highlighted his background in accounting, government oversight and opposition to accepting “dark money” or large development-related political contributions.
Grygowski pointed to his 20 years as a Marine Corps officer and said his leadership experience working with people from diverse backgrounds prepared him to approach county issues through collaboration, fiscal responsibility and long-term planning while preserving Beaufort County’s character.
The winner of the Republican primary will advance to the November general election.
1. What do you believe is the most pressing issue currently facing Beaufort County residents?
Grygowski: Unchecked growth that results in continuous tax referendums that affect the taxes of the community.
Andersen: I believe the most pressing issue facing Beaufort County is infrastructure. Residents experience it every day through worsening traffic, drainage problems, overcrowded roads, and public services struggling to keep pace with growth. For too long, development has outpaced the infrastructure needed to support it.
Beaufort County cannot continue approving growth without honestly evaluating whether roads, drainage systems, schools, and utilities can handle it long term. Infrastructure should be planned ahead of growth, not treated as an afterthought once problems already exist.
2. Beaufort County continues to experience rapid growth and development pressure. Do you believe current development regulations are adequate? Why or why not?
Grygowski: No. We are living through outdated development regulations. As a council member, I would like to review acceptance policies and work with municipalities and county officials to inventory what has already been approved so the county can better understand infrastructure plans needed and the impact future growth will have on the community.
Andersen: No. I believe Beaufort County’s current development regulations are still allowing growth to outpace infrastructure and overwhelm existing communities.
We continue seeing major increases in traffic congestion, drainage problems, flooding concerns, school strain, and pressure on public services while large-scale developments continue moving forward. In many cases, residents feel they are learning about projects after decisions are already well underway.
I believe the county needs to strengthen impact standards for major developments and require far more realistic evaluations of long-term impacts on roads, drainage capacity, utilities, emergency services, schools, and overall quality of life before projects are approved. I would also support slowing or denying projects in areas where infrastructure clearly cannot support additional growth.
I also support the proposed state concurrency legislation because infrastructure and public services should be required to keep pace with development instead of taxpayers constantly being left trying to catch up afterward.
In addition, Beaufort County should place greater emphasis on preserving community character, protecting natural resources, and improving transparency so residents can better understand what projects are planned in their communities before approvals occur.
3. Many residents believe infrastructure improvements are not keeping pace with growth. What specific infrastructure priorities would you pursue if elected?
Grygowski: Schools. Teachers and students deserve balanced class sizes and better commutes. Public safety infrastructure must also keep pace with growth so the community can rely on timely responses and effective services.
Andersen: Infrastructure has to become a priority before Beaufort County approves additional large-scale growth.
District 4 is directly impacted by some of the worst traffic bottlenecks in northern Beaufort County. Residents deal with congestion every day along Highway 170, the McTeer Bridge entering Port Royal, the Savannah Highway Spur, and the Parris Island Gateway/Robert Smalls Parkway corridor. These are not minor inconveniences anymore. They directly impact quality of life, public safety, and economic activity across the region.
If elected, I would prioritize intersection improvements, drainage and stormwater infrastructure, and traffic flow improvements in the areas experiencing the greatest strain today. I also believe future development approvals should be directly tied to demonstrated infrastructure capacity, not assumptions that roads and services can simply be expanded later.
In addition, Beaufort County must improve coordination with SCDOT and municipalities so infrastructure planning happens before growth overwhelms existing roads and services. Residents should not be expected to accept worsening traffic and infrastructure strain as the “new normal.”
4. Beaufort County officials recently warned that a loophole in state law tied to affordable housing tax exemptions could significantly impact county revenues. Do you believe state law needs to be changed? Why or why not?
Grygowski: Yes. Beaufort County cannot sustain itself on loopholes benefiting large corporations while small businesses and landlords struggle to maintain their real estate businesses. The exception should not become the rule.
Andersen: Yes. I support a full repeal and rewrite of the current law because I believe it was poorly written and is creating serious unintended consequences for communities across South Carolina.
I personally calculated scenarios showing the potential long-term impact could reach roughly $20 million in lost tax revenue across affected jurisdictions in Beaufort County if these exemptions continue expanding unchecked. I shared those calculations with municipalities across Beaufort County, County Council members, the county administrator, and members of our legislative delegation because I believed the public deserved to understand the scale of the issue.
Affordable housing is important, but the current law allows large-scale apartment developments to place permanent demands on roads, drainage, schools, emergency services, and infrastructure while contributing little or no property tax revenue in return.
That is not sustainable, and without changes to state law, these projects will continue shifting more of the financial burden onto existing residents and taxpayers.
5. How should Beaufort County balance the need for affordable and workforce housing while also protecting the county’s tax base and infrastructure capacity?
Grygowski:
Affordable housing looks different across Beaufort County, which is why housing solutions cannot be one-size-fits-all.
The county should work alongside residents, employers, municipalities and county leadership to identify solutions fitting each community’s needs and infrastructure capacity while encouraging long-term stability and homeownership opportunities.
Andersen: Beaufort County needs to take a step back and honestly evaluate the amount of housing already approved or currently in the pipeline before continuing to approve additional large-scale apartment developments.
Right now, growth is moving faster than our infrastructure can support, and the long-term impacts on roads, drainage, schools, emergency services, and taxpayers are not being fully addressed. The affordable housing tax exemption issue is directly tied to this conversation because many of these projects qualify for significant tax benefits while offering little that is truly affordable for working families.
I believe the county should shift away from relying so heavily on large apartment complexes and instead encourage more “missing middle” housing such as duplexes, townhomes, cottage developments, and workforce-oriented ownership opportunities. That approach creates more balanced growth, places less strain on infrastructure, and gives working families more opportunities to actually build equity and remain in Beaufort County long term.
I also believe future large-scale housing approvals should be evaluated against existing infrastructure capacity and long-term fiscal impact before moving forward.
6. The ongoing Pine Island and Cultural Protection Overlay debate has become one of the county’s most divisive land-use issues. What is your position on the county’s handling of the matter so far?
Grygowski: The county listened to the people and voted accordingly. The issue is currently in litigation, and the matter can be readdressed once the legal process concludes.
Andersen: I believe the Pine Island debate exposed a growing frustration across Beaufort County: people feel like large-scale development keeps moving forward while residents are left dealing with the consequences afterward.
My position has been consistent. Communities should have a meaningful voice in shaping what happens around them, especially in culturally and historically significant areas like St. Helena Island. That is exactly why I support maintaining the Cultural Protection Overlay. If a community establishes standards to preserve its identity, history, and way of life, those standards should not simply be brushed aside the moment development pressure increases.
I also believe the county’s handling of the situation damaged public trust. Too many residents felt like they were reacting to decisions instead of being included in the process. That is how communities begin feeling steamrolled by their own government.
More broadly, Pine Island became a symbol of a larger problem in Beaufort County: growth is moving faster than infrastructure, transparency, and community input can realistically keep up. People are tired of feeling like the character of their communities is negotiable.
7. A recent lawsuit challenging the Cultural Protection Overlay alleges the ordinance is discriminatory and improperly restricts development rights. Do you support the county continuing to defend the ordinance in court? Why or why not?
Grygowski: Yes. Property owners assume zoning and ordinance risks when purchasing land. Ordinances affect not only private property owners but the entire community and Beaufort County’s long-term landscape and character.
Andersen: Yes. I support the county continuing to defend the Cultural Protection Overlay in court.
The overlay exists because the people of St. Helena Island fought to preserve the culture, history, and identity of their community from being erased by unchecked development pressure. I believe they have every right to establish standards intended to protect that identity for future generations.
What concerns me is the idea that communities should simply surrender those protections the moment development interests challenge them. Once places like St. Helena lose their character and cultural identity, they do not get it back.
I also reject the idea that preserving a historically and culturally significant community is somehow incompatible with property rights. Beaufort County already regulates land use in countless ways through zoning, overlays, setbacks, density requirements, and environmental protections. The Cultural Protection Overlay is no different in principle. It simply recognizes that St. Helena Island is not a blank slate for unlimited development.
At its core, this debate is about whether local communities still have the right to shape their own future or whether every piece of Beaufort County eventually becomes vulnerable to the same pattern of overdevelopment.
8. Supporters of the CPO say it is necessary to protect historic Gullah-Geechee communities and environmentally sensitive land, while opponents argue it unfairly targets property owners. How should the county balance those competing concerns?
Grygowski: The issue is currently in litigation, but preserving Beaufort County’s historic and cultural character remains important. Property owners also deserve consistency, transparency and a voice in decisions affecting their land and communities.
Andersen: The county should start by recognizing that these concerns are not equal in consequence.
A property owner may face additional restrictions or review requirements under the CPO. But if historic Gullah-Geechee communities, rural character, and environmentally sensitive land are lost to unchecked development, that loss is permanent and irreversible.
That is the core issue.
For decades, development pressure has steadily pushed into areas that residents specifically sought to protect because they understood what was at stake culturally, historically, and environmentally. The CPO was created because people were watching their communities gradually transformed into something unrecognizable.
At the same time, the county absolutely has a responsibility to ensure the rules are clear, consistent, and fairly applied. Property owners deserve to understand exactly what standards exist and how decisions are being made.
But I do not believe the answer is to simply weaken protections every time development interests push back against them. If Beaufort County is serious about preserving the communities and landscapes that make this area unique, then those protections must actually mean something.
9. Beaufort County government faced significant public controversy and loss of trust following the Eric Greenway administration and the investigations that followed. What specific steps should County Council take to rebuild public confidence and improve transparency and accountability in county government?
Grygowski: Rebuilding trust requires ethical leadership and integrity. With many new council members joining County Council, the county has an opportunity for a fresh start and to demonstrate accountability through actions and conduct.
Andersen: Rebuilding public trust starts with transparency, accountability, and leadership willing to ask difficult questions instead of simply accepting what is put in front of them.
My professional background is directly tied to oversight and accountability work. I worked in the Beaufort County Auditor’s Office investigating fraudulent property tax exemptions and helping recover taxpayer dollars. I also worked within the federal government at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and have experience connected to internal oversight and accountability processes. Today, as an accountant, I work with budgets, financial reporting, and evaluating how money is actually being spent.
I also believe Beaufort County should establish an independent Internal Audit Office focused on reviewing financial controls, project spending, operational efficiency, and compliance. County government should not have to wait for major controversies before identifying problems. Strong internal oversight should exist proactively, not reactively.
In addition, County Council needs to improve transparency surrounding major projects and spending decisions so residents are not left learning about problems only after they become public controversies. That includes clearer public communication, stronger financial oversight, better project accountability, and leadership willing to challenge recommendations instead of automatically deferring to consultants or staff.
Public trust is rebuilt through competence, honesty, and accountability demonstrated consistently over time.
10. Why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?
Grygowski: As a retired Marine Corps officer, I bring 20 years of leadership experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and in many levels of leadership. Beaufort County deserves leadership focused on fiscal responsibility, transparency, collaboration and preserving the community’s character for future generations.
Andersen: I believe voters should choose me because my background is directly connected to the issues Beaufort County is facing right now.
I work as an accountant and have experience in both local and federal government focused on budgets, oversight, and accountability. I worked in the Beaufort County Auditor’s Office recovering taxpayer dollars, and I understand how growth, infrastructure, and financial decisions impact residents long term.
I also believe Beaufort County needs independent leadership willing to ask difficult questions instead of simply accepting the status quo. That is one reason I made the decision not to accept dark money Super PAC support or contributions from large development interests. I believe residents deserve to know that the people representing them are accountable to the community first.
Ultimately, I think this election comes down to who voters trust to approach these issues seriously, transparently, and with a real understanding of the long-term consequences of the decisions being made today.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect additional information from candidate Thomas Grygowski’s questionnaire responses that was unintentionally omitted of the original version of the article.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.