Hilton Head council candidate doesn’t want island to be an ‘alternative to Myrtle Beach’

A Sea Pines resident who wants the island to attract more “quality tourists” hopes to secure a spot on Hilton Head Town Council.

Richard Dextraze filed to run for the Ward 5 seat on Thursday, according to his statement of candidacy filing form.

Ward 5 comprises the south end, including Sea Pines. Tom Lennox currently represents the ward and has filed to run again.

Dextraze, 66, moved to the island in 1989 from Chicago. He’s owned an insurance company — R A Dextraze and Associates — on the island’s south end for 24 years.

He wants to address ongoing issues facing the town, such as attracting employees to the island and providing housing and better transportation for them.

“I feel very strongly if we don’t do something in regard to affordable housing and workforce housing, we’re eventually going to fail,” he said.

He also would like to see the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce attract more “quality tourists.”

“We were definitely a higher-end tourist destination than we currently are,” Dextraze said. “We have since — probably since the late ‘90s — been focused on being an alternative to Myrtle Beach. We’re not an alternative to Myrtle Beach and we shouldn’t be. They’re marketing to get as many people as they can to come here.”

Dextraze also said he is not a fan of the town’s visioning initiative, and that he would like the town to stop hiring outside consultants.

“We didn’t have to go outside and have somebody else come in that doesn’t know the island and tell us what they think it should be,” he said. “We have very talented people that work for us right now at town hall, and they could be tasked with identifying what we need. ... If we’re spending money, we should be able to have accountability. You get none of that with a consultant.”

Dextraze said he is invested in the community and understands the needs of the island. He also hopes the town will work more with other municipalities and counties.

“My mission is to understand what the needs of my constituency are, what the needs of the town are, and to work together with council to try to get all of that successfully addressed,” he said.

Candidates can officially file for the election until Aug. 15. The filing fee is $50 for the mayoral election and $35 to run for Town Council, according to the town’s municipal code.

Three candidates have filed to run for mayor, including Town Council member John McCann, former Hilton Head mayor Tom Peeples and Rochelle Williams.

Council seats for Ward 2, Ward 4 and Ward 5 are up for grabs.

▪ Ward 2 comprises portions of the north end of the island, including parts of Hilton Head Plantation. Bill Harkins is the ward’s current representative and has filed to run again.

▪ Ward 4 comprises of portions of the mid and south end of the island, including Indigo Run and Palmetto Dunes. Kim Likins currently represents the ward. Lennel Stroud has filed to represent this ward.

Wards can be searched by address on the town’s website.

This story was originally published August 3, 2018 at 10:13 AM.