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Volume 21 • Issue 12
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November 28, 2025
Phillip Pounds Wins Re-Election as Isle of Palms Mayor by a Single Vote
Phillip Pounds
By Christian Senger Incumbent Isle of Palms Mayor Phillip Pounds has won a second term by the narrowest of margins, defeating City Councilman Scott Pierce by just one vote in the Nov. 18 runoff. After 15 provisional ballots were counted by the Charleston County Board of Elections on Nov. 20,
the final tally was 947 votes for Pounds and 946 for Pierce, triggering an automatic recount. The recount ultimately confirmed Pounds’s one-vote victory. In the initial Nov. 4 election, Pounds and Pierce were the top contenders, while Jon Regan Walters, the third candidate, was eliminated, setting up the head-to-head runoff.
Sullivan’s Island Adopts Sea Level Rise, Resilience Plan Despite Pushback Future 100 year storm event flood extends if no action is taken by the Town.
By Joshua Uys The Sullivan’s Island Town Council on Nov. 18 voted unanimously to receive the final Sea Level Rise Adaptation and Resilience Plan, prepared by Weston & Sampson, Elko Coastal Consulting, and McCormick Taylor. The vote concludes the consultants’ contract and places the document into the public record for future reference. The plan outlines strategies for addressing sea level rise through 2050, emphasizing nature-based solutions and recommending against shoreline hardening such as seawalls, bulkheads, and buried erosion-control structures. It cites examples
from neighboring communities, including Isle of Palms’ requirements for pervious hardscape materials—such as permeable walkways, driveways, and pool surrounds—as a model Sullivan’s Island could consider. Several residents urged council not to accept the plan, citing concerns about private property rights and restrictive recommendations. “In a recent discussion with OCRM, it was outlined that if an event washes away a resident’s property, a new critical line is established at the point of loss. This has already happened on Goat Island,” a Thompson Avenue resident said. “The plan specifi-
cally calls for only nature-based solutions. Why would any plan limit us to only one approach?” Another Thompson Avenue resident pointed to what she called internal inconsistencies. “The plan states the Causeway needs to be raised at least 4.2 feet but won’t allow us to build even one inch of an erosion-control device,” she said. “For our rules to be more restrictive than the state agency charged with coastal defense is completely unwarranted.” A resident of Atlantic Avenue raised financial concerns. “The plan you have before (Continued on page 3)