Two Hilton Head Town Council seats up for grabs
Two Hilton Head Town Council incumbents will face challengers in Tuesday’s election.
David Ames will run against Ryan James McAvoy for the Ward 3 seat that covers mid-island while Marc Grant will face Ibrahim Abdul-Malik in the race to represent Ward 1 on the island’s north end.
In the past few months, Ames has been an advocate for better town planning, including a vision process that includes community input. Ames has said the process could help the town tackle its shortage of hospitality workers.
“The town’s vision for the future will undoubtedly underscore this threat and raise it as a key priority to tackle and remedy,” Ames said.
Town Council’s spending has been McAvoy’s major criticism throughout the years. This specifically includes money the town gives to the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.
“Some in town government, including Mr. Ames, believe in spending taxpayer money, not their own — thinking they can skip this key step,” McAvoy said.
And in the Ward 1 race, incumbent Marc Grant touts his accomplishments, including securing funding to pave dirt roads and expand sewer lines.
“During my tenure, I accomplished many goals to improve the quality of life for Ward 1 and the entire island community,” Grant said.
Yet, he said more needs to be done, including helping residents resolve issues with their heirs property — land that has been passed down through families without wills or deeds.
Ibrahim Abdul-Malik contends that more needs to be done for Ward 1, including the town investing more in the preservation of Mitchelville, the nation’s first freedman town that was established after the Civil War.
“The Mitchelville project is being given just enough support to keep them dependent,” Abdul-Malik said.
Teresa Moss: 843-706-8152, @TeresaIPBG
Hilton Head Town Council, Ward 3
The Ward 3 candidates
Name: David Ames, incumbent
Age: 72
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, master’s degree from The University of Pennsylvania.
Family: Wife Nancy, two daughters.
Name: Ryan James McAvoy
Age: 37
Education: Attended Harvard University, Miami University.
Family: Wife Kelly, one son.
The issues
Answers have been edited for length and grammar. To see the candidates’ full answers, go to http://bit.ly/2016Elex.
The town is facing an unprecedented shortage of tourism workers. Should the town help? If so, how?
Ames: The town needs to lead in solving this shortage because it threatens business investment, quality of service for both residents and guests, and therefore, the quality of life for residents and the quality of experience for guests ... The town’s vision for the future will undoubtedly underscore this threat and raise it as a key priority to tackle and remedy.
McAvoy: Employers need to offer fair wages sufficient to attract employees. Until we get to do that, we should not consider town subsidies or illegal alien workers. Employers need to pay our people a fair wage.
Town is mulling whether to build an arts campus. Should it? Please explain your answer?
Ames: The simple answer is there isn’t enough information to make an informed decision at this time. In a few months, the town’s Venue Committee report will make its recommendations and shed light on the appropriate role of the town.
McAvoy: Before we commit very scarce taxpayer funds, we need a benefit cost study and detailed analysis.
The town is considering the annexation of Bay Point Island. Do you support this proposal? If so why?
Ames: I will be looking very carefully at the scale of the project and all its details. I expect my background in resort and environmental planning to play a role in determining whether this (project) makes sense.
McAvoy: Yet another vision without analysis of economics, benefit of cost and pro and cons behind it. Before we take another step we need to have all these firmly in hand!
Hilton Head Town Council, Ward 1
The Ward 1 candidates
Name: Marc Grant, incumbent
Age: 46
Education: Bachelor’s degree from S.C. State University.
Family: Wife Wanda, three children.
Name: Ibrahim Abdul-Malik
Age: 60
Education: Attended Thomas Nelson Community College, USC Beaufort.
Family: Wife Mumtahanah, three children.
The issues
Answers have been edited for length and grammar. To see the candidates’ full answers, go to http://bit.ly/2016Elex.
The town is facing an unprecedented shortage of tourism workers. Should the town help? If so, how?
Abdul-Malik: This is a more of an employer issue that a town issue. Employers should do more to help innocent people to work for them. The major players that hire these tourism workers should think outside the box instead of going along with the islandwide thought of paying people as little as possible and hiring only part-time (workers) with no benefits.
Grant: I voted to provided funding for the economic development corporation which did a job fair at Hilton Head High School for local teens looking for work ... During the next four years, we will create a new economic task force to address employment issues.
Town is mulling whether to build an arts campus. Should it? Please explain your answer.
Abdul-Malik: Cultural expression is important ... I believe the town should invest more of its resources for cultural development into turning the Mitchelville project into the “Mitchelville Story.” I am not opposed to an arts campus, but we have a historical, cultural gem in the Mitchelville effort that is being underfunded.
Grant: I have not made a decision on this issue at this time. I supported creating a task force and interviewed and selected our local citizens who wanted to participate on the venue committee ... At this time, they have selected a research firm that will assist in studying our community and surroundings areas (to determine what should be done regarding arts venues).
The town is considering the annexation of Bay Point Island. Do you support this proposal? If so why?
Abdul-Malik: I do not support this proposal. We have issues now that we have to resolve before we can add more to the plate!
Grant: At this time, I have not made a decision to annex Bay Point Island. However there are many benefits that were proposed by the owner of the island and the CEO of Six Senses Resort ... Based on conversations with the owner of the island, they would not be seeking any future funding or assistance for public services from the town.
This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Two Hilton Head Town Council seats up for grabs."