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Sheriff proposes new staff position to oversee festivals

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The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office says it needs a new staff position to oversee the growing number of festivals and special events on Hilton Head Island.

Sheriff P.J. Tanner said the new position would free up deputies and investigators who get pulled off other assignments to stafffestivals, parades and road races. But the town is already facing a tight budget year, so it's unclear if the law enforcement agency that provides police services to the town will get its wish.

The Sheriff's Office requested the new position as part of its budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1. The new administrative sergeant would also help serve bench warrants on the island. Tanner said he has "multiple footlockers" full of unserved warrants.

The new position will cost about $99,000, including $68,628 in salary and benefits and $30,000 for a vehicle.

Organizers of special events -- from Wing Fest to the St. Patrick's Day Parade -- are required to hire deputies to patrol the events and to pay the overtime costs, Sheriff's Office officials said. With more events added every year, a new

position is justified, Tanner said.

But finding the money will require cutting $99,000 somewhere else in the budget, town manager Steve Riley said.

The council on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to the Sheriff's Office overall budget for its Hilton Head services and agreed to discuss the event coordinator position as a separate issue later. The overall budget is $2,783,650, an increase of $67,450 from the previous year. The increase is due to mandatory budget expenses such as health insurance and other personnel costs.

OTHER AGENCIES

The council also gave preliminary approval to other affiliated agencies:

Drug court: $50,500, an increase of $2,000 from the previous year.

Palmetto Breeze: $175,000, no increase.

Shore Beach Services: $167,680, a $20,990 increase. But council said it wants to look at expanding the services the beach patrol and lifeguard company provides, includingenlarging the beach area it covers to include the new Mitchelville Beach Park on Port Royal Sound.

Island Recreation Association: $763,340, an increase of $32,800. Rising propane and heating/air conditioning costs are the association's biggest expenses, executive director Frank Soule said.

Coastal Discovery Museum: $85,000, an increase of $10,000. The museum is ending its first year receiving a management fee from the town. The increase in that fee is needed to pay for new museum staff to keep up with the demands of its new location at Honey Horn, executive director Michael Marks said.

The budget will be finalized in June.

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