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COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
LOLITA HUCKABY
Primary filing deadline draws flurry of candidates
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BEAUFORT he stage is set, at least for now. Last week’s filing deadline for the June 9 Republican and Democratic primaries produced a flurry of individuals interested in serving the voters, … some surprises, some not so surprising. The Beaufort County sheriff’s race, of course, got exciting after P.J. Tanner announced, one week before the March 30 filing deadline, that he wasn’t going to run again. Needless to say, there was some behind-the-scene scrambling among local politicos before Doug Seifert and JoJo Woodward stepped forth to file on the Republican ticket and Democrat Alphonso Small Jr. paid to put his name on the Democratic ticket. Both Seifert, who has received Tanner’s endorsement, and JoJo Wardward have worked with the sheriff’s department under Tanner’s administration, while Woodward has run in two previous elections. Small, from Bluffton, is a member of the county Board of Education but has law enforcement experience as well. The other surprise, as last week’s The Island News reported, was the arrival of former Governor Mark Sanford into the First Congressional District race, on the last day of filing. Sanford, who beat-out 16 fellow Republicans in the 2013 congressional race, will face 10 Republicans in June, including Beaufort County Councilman Logan Cunningham who wishes to serve voters from Washington. The winner of that Republican primary will face the winner of the Democratic primary, where seven have filed, plus candidates from the Libertarian and Alliance party, whose candidate Margo Ellis has already been campaigning locally. While neither of the county’s two state senators — Tom Davis of District 46 (which no longer includes city of Beaufort and Port Royal) and Chip Campsen of District 43 (which does include Beaufort, Port Royal and parts of Charleston County) — are up for election this year but all of the county’s five state House of Representative races drew competition. Indeed, for the first time in recent memory, the state Democrat-
SEE LOWDOWN PAGE A9
The Preserve at Port Royal management office. Amber Hewitt/The Island News
Port Royal blindsided $1.3M tax loss tied to state law loophole; Development avoids property taxes while claiming affordable housing status
By Delayna Earley The Island News The Town of Port Royal didn’t learn about a $1.3 million tax loss from a report. It found out on social media. “Ding, ding, ding, ding. Lights go off,” Town Manager Van Willis said. That moment, sparked by a post questioning how the Preserve at Port Royal’s tax bill dropped from more than $1.3 million to just a few thousand dollars, led town officials to uncover what they now describe as a loophole in state law. The loophole allowed a private apartment complex to avoid paying property taxes while claiming to provide affordable housing. A tax bill that disappeared Just last year, the Preserve, a 400-unit apartment complex in the center of Port Royal, paid more than $1.34 million in property taxes. This year, it is expected to pay none.
“For us, losing that kind of revenue is significant. My budget is only $11 million.” VAN WILLIS, Port Royal's Town Manager.
The result is a loss of about $349,000 to the town, roughly 6% of its $11 million budget. More than $700,000 in funding for the Beaufort County School District is also affected. “For us, losing that kind of revenue is significant,” Willis said. “My budget is only $11 million.” How it happened According to Willis, the exemption stems from a section of South Carolina law that allows compa-
nies to carve out a small portion of their corporate structure under the premise of providing low- to moderate-income housing. In the case of the Preserve, that portion is just 0.1%. “They have set aside 0.1% of their ownership structure, which has now enabled them to exempt $1.345 million in property taxes,” Willis said. The property is owned by Sundance Bay, a Utah-based private equity firm with roughly $4 billion in assets. Despite the scale of the development, which sold for $92 million, the exemption means it now contributes nothing in property taxes. “That $6,000 people are seeing is stormwater fees,” Willis said. “They paid nothing in property taxes.” A discovery after the fact The timing made the impact
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Beaufort Memorial names Jess O’Brien Director of Marketing and Communications Staff reports Former Beaufort Digital Corridor Executive Director Jess O’Brien has joined Beaufort Memorial Hospital as the Director of Marketing and Communications. O’Brien, who joined Beaufort Memorial in March 2026, brings with her more than a decade of experience leading strategic marketing, brand development and client service initiatives at organizations
ranging from small businesses to national brands. A seasoned leader and community advocate, she most recentJess ly served for five O’Brien years as the Executive Director of the Beaufort Digital Corridor (BDC) and the BDC Foundation, advancing the
region’s technology ecosystem. At the BDC, O’Brien led programs supporting local entrepreneurs, innovation and workforce development, helping position Beaufort as a growing hub for digital talent. Her leadership there focused on creating opportunities and fostering community partnerships while helping develop the next generation of professionals.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jess to the Beaufort Memorial team,” Beaufort Memorial Vice President of Marketing and Development Kim Yawn said in a media release. “Her genuine love for the community and passion for making a difference align perfectly with our mission at Beaufort Memorial. We’re excited for
SEE DIRECTOR PAGE A8
NEWS
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INSIDE
4 candidates for SC governor keep it civil at 1st SC GOP debate.
Coastal Discovery Museum hosting annual Beaufort County High School Regional Art Exhibition.
Beaufort High girls dominate Beaufort Track Classic.
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