Hilton Head voter guide: What you need to know about 6 Town Council candidates
Three Hilton Head Town Council seats are up for grabs this election — but only two are contested races.
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, voters will decide who will represent wards 2, 4 and 5. Wards can be looked up by address online.
The election could shake up a longtime 4-3 split on Town Council, in which current members Tom Lennox, Bill Harkins, John McCann and Marc Grant often vote the same way.
Perhaps the most notable split involves support for town manager Steve Riley. Last September, McCann, who is now running for mayor, opted to bring all closed-door discussions of Riley into open session. Harkins, Lennox and Grant approved of the end to closed-door meetings.
The next council, along with Hilton Head’s new mayor, will be tasked with making policy decisions on several issues that have proven to be divisive among both council and the public, including the town’s vision, an arts center, workforce housing and chamber transparency.
Ward 2
Ward 2 is comprised of portions of the north end of the island, including some of Hilton Head Plantation. Two candidates are running for this seat.
Bill Harkins
Harkins has served on council for nine years, and wants another four-year term representing Ward 2.
He is originally from Connecticut, but bought a lot on the island in the early 1980s. He has lived here full time for the past 15 years. Harkins was in the U.S. Army Medical Services Corps, ran hospitals in Vietnam and in the United States and spent 35 years as a senior health care CEO.
He said in August Town Council, which is often divided, needs to work together more.
Harkins considers the three main challenges facing the island to be preserving the island’s brand, improving workforce availability and maintaining the town’s “strong financial rating,” according to a survey by the League of Women Voters.
Tim Ridge
Ridge spent decades in private management consulting and moved to Hilton Head in 2012. He has served on the town’s venue committee since 2016. He said in August he thinks a “fresh voice” is needed on council.
He said in August that the island is no longer “unique,” because other locations offer the same amenities that Hilton Head does. He also said the island should be marketed more to retirees.
Ridge considers the top three challenges facing the island to be infrastructure and passing the tax referendum to fund bridge improvements, workforce development/housing and fiscal accountability. Specifically, Ridge wants more transparency with how the Hilton Head Island- Bluffton Chamber of Commerce uses ATAX funds.
Ward 4
Tamara Becker is running unopposed for the Ward 4 seat, which comprises parts of the mid-island including Palmetto Dunes and Indigo Run. Repeated attempts to reach Becker over a one-week period in August to write a candidate profile were unsuccessful.
According to the League of Women Voters survey, Becker has lived on the island since 2014. Becker said the three main challenges facing the island include overall development, workforce sustainability and safety.
Becker is taking over the ward of council member Kim Likins, who is running for mayor.
Ward 5
Ward 5, which comprises much of the south end of the island, including Sea Pines, has three candidates. Because a candidate must receive a majority of votes cast to be elected, there is a possibility of a runoff election for this ward, according to town code.
Tom Lennox
Lennox is nearing the end of his first term representing Ward 5. He came to the island in 2006, where he finished his 40-year career in commercial banking and finance.
He said in August a major priority of council should be finishing up hurricane recovery, followed by completing the sewer project.
According to the League of Women Voters survey, Lennox considers the top three challenges facing the island to be “protecting and enhancing” quality of life, creating an environment that “attracts the right private investment,” and funding community services in an “efficient and effective manner.”
Lennox has been endorsed by former Hilton Head Mayor Tom Peeples, Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka, Hardeeville Mayor Harry Williams, Beaufort County Council member Stu Rodman, Rep. Jeff Bradley, Sen. Tom Davis and the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors.
Richard Dextraze
Dextraze moved to the island in 1989, and has owned an insurance business on the south end for the last 24 years.
He said in August the island should focus on attracting more “quality tourists,” noting that the island is not “an alternative to Myrtle Beach.”
He considers the top challenges to be developing affordable housing for the workforce, utilizing town staff instead of hiring outside consultants and diversifying the regional economy.
Patsy Brison
Brison retired to Hilton Head in 2015 from North Carolina, where she worked as a partner in a law firm. She is currently a member of the town’s board of zoning appeals.
Brison said in August she wants to continue Charles Fraser’s vision for a natural island. One of the issues she wants to address is development, including density and building height.
She considers the top challenges facing Hilton Head to be balancing the interests of residents, tourists, businesses and the workforce, transportation and traffic and addressing potential impacts of sea level rise.
This story was originally published October 31, 2018 at 9:54 AM.