The Island Packet endorsement: Our two choices for Beaufort County Council

The Island Packet Editorial Board needs just four words for our Beaufort County Council endorsements: Vote the bums out. But while we’ve got your attention, we’ll use more than those four words to explain why.

In what certainly looked like a cover-up, the Beaufort County Council refused to release a report on an outside investigation into five years of county fiscal misdeeds even as the cost of the completed investigation continued to rise. First, a board majority tried to get away with the supposed investigators only giving an oral report at a public meeting. Then they tried to get away with only making public a six-page summary. And then they falsely claimed releasing it would require a unanimous vote when state law and public records experts said there was no such requirement. Criticism reined down, and the report still isn’t public.

Only three of 11 County Council members — David Bartholomew, Paula Brown and Tom Reitz — advocated for making the report public in June. And only four — Bartholomew, Brown, Reitz and Anna Maria “Tab” Tabernik — replied to questions about the issue from reporter Sebastian Lee this summer as the sheriff blasted the council majority for secrecy and for accepting the consultants’ conclusion that “there was no evidence of criminal activity.”

Sadly, only three incumbents must face you, the voters, on the Nov. 5 ballot, and all that stands in the way of one — York Glover in District 3 — is a last-minute write-in campaign from someone who would have run a longer, more formal campaign if he were really serious about winning the seat.

That leaves two races where we will make recommendations.

In Council District 1, The Island Packet Editorial Board endorses Republican Adam Biery over incumbent Democrat Gerald Dawson. Dawson has checked out on his constituency, ignoring repeated requests from South Carolina Opinion Editor Matthew T. Hall for his columns, from Lee for his July survey of the 11 council members and from Hall again for the opinion team’s candidate Q&As.

By contrast, Biery understands the need to rebuild public trust in the council. His top three priorities are responsible growth management, transparency and accountability, and infrastructure improvements. He vows to “push for greater public access to information about council decisions, including making documents and data readily available online,” and he wants to “foster a culture of openness where the public feels heard and involved in decision-making.” He also sees growth as “an opportunity, not a burden” and said he will manage it with strategic planning, environmental stewardship and balanced development. If Biery had the inside track for our endorsement based on Dawson’s refusal to interact with us, Biery won it vowing a “fresh perspective and a proactive approach to leadership.”

In Council District 7, The Island Packet Editorial Board endorses Democrat Sarah McCarty over Republican incumbent Logan Cunningham. Yes, compared to Dawson, Cunningham deserves credit for responding to our survey. It’s appreciated, but it’s also a low bar. Of course, candidates should not ignore repeated requests from local journalists who are trying to represent and inform the public. Cunningham also deserves criticism. He told us, “The people deserve to have their questions answered,” but he hasn’t always acted like it.

McCarty would bring a fresh start like Biery. Her answers to our survey were detailed, nuanced, reasonable and thoughtful. Her top three priorities are environmental protection, responsible development and resilient infrastructure. To illustrate her holistic thinking, she said public safety is about preventing crime and injuries and promoting well-being, and she rightly emphasized the importance of stormwater management in light of recent storms. She is retired now, like many in Beaufort County, with a background in health care and academia. Importantly, she didn’t just say she would be more transparent. She showed how she would do it, closing her answer with, “Be available for comment. It validates the public interest in the issue.” She gets it.

These two incumbents have shown themselves to be unfit for public office, and these two newcomers have shown themselves to be ready for the challenge and pledged to avoid secrecy. It’s time for a change.

This story was originally published October 21, 2024 at 5:00 AM.