Four vie for spot on Hilton Head council; election is today

Voters in Hilton Head Island’s Ward 3 will head to the polls today for a special election to choose a new Town Council representative.

Four candidates will appear on the ballot: developer David Ames, marketing coordinator Ryan McAvoy, restaurateur Brendan Reilley and truck company owner Palmer Simmons.

If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote Tuesday, the top two vote-getters would go head-to-head in a May 17 runoff.

The nonpartisan election comes as a result of council member Lee Edwards’ resignation. In February, the former Ward 3 councilman moved to Sea Pines, which is outside the ward.

Ward 3 encompasses Ashton Cove, Bay Pines, Brighton Bay, Broad Creek Landing, Broad Creek Marina, Cedar Woods, Old House Creek, Point Comfort, Spanish Wells, Timbercrest, Wexford and Yacht Cove.

The special election victor will serve out the remainder of Edwards’ term, which ends at the end of the year. If the new council member wishes to retain the seat, he must run again in November.

Note: The following candidate responses have been lightly edited for grammar, punctuation and length. Simmons’ responses came from an in-person interview. The other three candidates provided responses via email.

Ames: I believe I have the skills, passion and leadership to make a positive difference on the council. For more than 30 years, I have been doing volunteer public service on numerous boards and helping build important community assets like (the Hilton Head Island) Boys & Girls Club and new Children’s Center. I’m past chairman of the Mayor’s Task Force for the Island’s Future. I’m totally familiar with the town’s pressing issues and can hit the ground running.

McAvoy: I was born with the sand and the sea in my blood. The best interest of this island beats in my heart. My pledge to you, the people of Hilton Head, is to listen to you and focus on your concerns. My wife Kelly, our 4-year-old son Lincoln and I are members of the First Presbyterian Church. My family has never been big on quitting.

Reilley: I (was) born and raised on Hilton Head Island. I am a proven leader in the business community with active businesses operating on Hilton Head. I have a young family with kids in the public school system. I understand the need for growth and balance as a tourist destination and a place that our kids will be proud to call home for years to come.

Simmons: My campaign slogan is “bridging communities.” I think there has been not enough effort to have all of our communities share the same goal. We live on one island together. We all want to be safe when we go out for a bike ride or shopping. ... I want to make sure our island continues to grow in a sustainable way. And I think I can be a voice that’s a little bit different from the usual, old voices.

Ames: There were better sites on the island for the USCB hospitality building than the (site) selected. But unfortunately there was virtually no public discussion about the project when it was being considered two years ago and no traffic studies prior to the decision being made. I believe the issues currently being lamented could have been resolved had there been more transparency at that time. Among my key objectives if (I am) elected will be greater transparency within town government and greater public input. We now must solve the traffic issues.

McAvoy: While some have mentioned “some nice building will replace some dilapidated ones,” it won’t produce a nickel of tax revenue. Once again, taxpayers will have to foot the bill for a building that belongs to the state for which we have no control. Because of (tax increment funds), the building will reduce county tax revenue by $2.6 million every year. Guess who is responsible for making that money up?

Reilley: The USCB campus is a done deal, and at this point we need to move along and support this as a community. I do not think the campus will have a major negative impact on traffic, especially if we strengthen the secondary access roads. The idea of a hospitality program on our island makes a lot of sense. We now need to switch our focus on getting the students to attend.

Simmons: The plus about the campus is that it (will provide) local education. It’s hard to dispute that it isn’t a good thing to be able to better the education for our community and our young people. ... Obviously, traffic is a concern and will continue to be a concern. But hopefully with the new studies for the circles, we will figure out a way to eliminate some of that traffic.

Ames: I am among the large group of island residents who ardently support arts, culture and history — not only for the quality of life benefits they bring but for the potential of having an economic asset that can supplement our tourism industry and help a lot of local organizations. Town Council has declared that the $9.5 million, if approved by referendum, will be held in escrow until the financial viability of such an arts campus is fully vetted as being a financially viable. I take them at their word.

McAvoy: I have always been a big believer (that if) someone else has already said it best, say it again: “Without a business case — including capital and operational cost, customer projections, revenue — this thing should be dead in the water.”

Reilley: I support the arts, and I enjoy attending arts events. However, adding a $65 million venue will not solve the current problems at the (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina). We need to evaluate what we are going to spend, what the demand for use will be and what we are willing to contribute long-term. Building the facility is only one part of the equation. We need to fully understand the potential operating losses and how they will be funded in the future.

Simmons: Currently, we have an arts center that has been struggling and not able to sustain itself. So, I’m waiting for the studies to be completed — and if the studies say the town can support a completely new arts center campus, I would be all for it.

Ames: The Coligny area includes significant public property, which must be planned carefully in order to stimulate private sector reinvestment. Reinvestment must be balanced and strive to lessen the number of automobiles in the area. The area is under duress because of a lack of planning 40 years ago. (That planning) didn’t envision the massive increase in day-tripper, beach-goers from Bluffton and beyond now flocking to the island’s primary beach access point on weekends and clogging the roadways on the South End. We must find ways to lessen the pressure on Coligny, which will help solve other traffic issues as well.

McAvoy: Our way of life is good here. The road we take to a better future makes safety our first duty. There is a powerful link between crime rate and property values. To increase property values, we must lower crime. Low crime rates (are) not enough. We must strive for a zero crime rate. That will drastically cut the number of real-estate foreclosures (and) increase property value.

Reilley: Coligny is one of the best beaches on the coast. We need to have parking and transportation available to and from the beach. The beaches are our number one asset, and we need to maintain and ensure the continued health of the beach and local waters. The town should also market and enhance its rich history and culture on the island.

Simmons: Whoever the developers of that project might be, I would hope they do their due diligence and make sure they are going to produce a first-class operation. I think there is a grand opportunity to do that. I think it could be one of the better developments to hit Hilton Head in a long time. ... Hilton Head will continue to be a (tourism) hotspot, I think. But if we can bring the history and heritage of the island together and marry that a little more with tourism, our island will continue to grow.

Ames: Now that the real estate planning and construction industry has left Hilton Head, we must seek alternative sources of diversified business. I would encourage better branding efforts that attract professionals and entrepreneurs who can work anywhere and would find our clean air, natural beauty and active lifestyle most appealing. However, we also must be willing as a town to invest in broadband networks that attract such professionals. Our shortage of quality work force, difficult commuting and deteriorating commercial buildings are all hindrances that must be dealt with.

McAvoy: Our island is a world-class destination where families come to relax, retire and live. So, relax and rest easy knowing Ryan James McAvoy will work hard to increase your property value and keep your loved ones safe. Could there be any issues more important to our way of life?

Reilley: Yes, we are and always will be a vacation destination. We need to encourage and work with local businesses that will compliment the vacation experience.

Simmons: Tourism is going to continue to be our (economic) base, simply because of the nature of where we live. We have great beaches, lots of golf, lots of tennis. It would be difficult for tourism not to be our base. ... I think if we look at the regional picture a little more, that would be good for our future. But I don’t think we want Hilton Head to get too commercial, and it’s not like we are going to go all industrial all of a sudden.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Four vie for spot on Hilton Head council; election is today."