Hilton Head leaders reschedule referendum on $65M parks and arts tax. Here’s why
The town of Hilton Head Island is postponing a vote on a $65 million parks and arts tax, Mayor John McCann told The Island Packet Thursday, a surprising decision on a referendum the Town Council originally had scheduled for May 5.
The tax, dubbed the “quality of life” referendum, would have allocated $30 million to parks organizations and $35 million to arts organizations in the next 25 years. The public first learned of the referendum in early December after The Island Packet reported on a discussion about the tax at the council’s Dec. 6 workshop in Beaufort.
“I remain convinced that this quality of life referendum represents a tremendous opportunity to move the island forward in a significant way, but it has become clear that now is not the time,” McCann said.
He told The Island Packet the vote will be rescheduled to November 2021 so the town can spend the next 18 months educating the public on the issues. He said many residents have shared concerns with him about the timing of the election.
On Jan. 21, the Hilton Head Town Council unanimously approved a May vote on the parks and arts tax. The referendum date was supposed to be up for a second and final vote at the council’s next meeting.
Since the announcement of the referendum, many organizations that stand to benefit from the money raised have announced their support for the tax. It would follow and replace the five-year assessment begun in 2016 to replenish the town’s reserves after Hurricane Matthew’s damage.
“Our town leaders and nonprofit directors are working hard to better serve our community and to build the future we dream of sharing with our families. Please consider backing a referendum that can shape a better future for all islanders, and thank you all for supporting the museum,” Rex Garniewicz, president and CEO of the Coastal Discovery Museum, wrote in an op-ed in The Island Packet.
Others have questioned the need for expediency and the way the referendum was presented, including The Island Packet’s editorial board.
“Like a magician pulling a surprise from behind a curtain, the council has mysteriously produced a proposed new 25-year tax to raise $65 million,” the board wrote in January. “The result is a list of private entities that would receive millions of dollars — a list that was selected (Abracadabra!) before it was presented to the public.”
The list includes the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, the Coastal Discovery Museum, and Mitchelville Freedom Park.
“It is problematic because this is a rush job, to get it on a ballot in May — when few are likely to vote,” the board wrote.
Others also questioned the referendum’s swift jump to the main stage of Hilton Head politics.
“It looks like this proposal was rushed,” Risa Prince, a resident of Hilton Head’s Port Royal Plantation, said at a January town council meeting. “It appears to us you’re trying to push this through.”
Prince said there was “little opportunity” for public comment at the council’s workshop, when it was first publicly aired.
Where would the money go?
In a presentation to town council in January, Hilton Head Town Manager Steve Riley said the money from a successful referendum would be split into two sections:
- Arts and Culture: $35 million would be divvied up three ways, he said: $25 million would go to capital improvements at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, another $5 million would go to projects at the Coastal Discovery Museum, and $5 million would go to expanding Mitchelville Freedom Park.
- Parks and Recreation: The remaining $30 million would also be split among three different areas. Chaplin park, Crossings park and a now-empty plot of land near Port Royal Plantation, which was previously used as Planter’s Row golf course, would get major updates to their facilities. Those could include new fields and buildings.
Riley said the two sections would be separate ballot questions for voters to decide.
What’s next?
McCann said the vote is rescheduled for November 2021. The town plans to hire a consultant to help provide the public with information about the referendum.
McCann said 2021 was chosen because the Town Council will have three new members following the 2020 elections.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story misidentified what the referendum funds would be used for at the Arts Center. The money, if approved in 2021, would be used for capital improvements to the buildings.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 3:02 PM.
