Curtis Barnwell, right, congratulates Marc Grant, left, after Grant, John McCann and Lee Edwards were sworn in Tuesday as Hilton Head Island Town Council members. Grant defeated fellow native-islander Bill Ferguson in November for the Town Council seat representing Ward 1. McCann won his seat in Ward 6 by just 46 votes in a race against Jim Collett Jr. to replace Ken Heitzke, who did not seek re-election. Edwards fended off three challengers to his Ward 3 seat. Later Tuesday, the council elected Ward 2 Councilman Bill Harkins as mayor pro tem. Council also called on state legislators to reduce property taxes on second homes and business properties. For more on that discussion, go to blogs.islandpacket.com/PacketBlotter.

Sarah Welliver, staff photo