Maria Walls, a Bluffton Republican, to seek reelection as Beaufort County treasurer
Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls this week announced her intention to run for reelection in November.
Walls, a Republican from Bluffton, was first elected as the county’s elected treasurer in 2014 and won reelection in 2018. As of Tuesday, no other candidate had announced plans to run against Walls.
”Defying the government stereotype is why I am so passionate about breaking the government mold,” Walls said in a statement. “My team and I have transformed Beaufort County’s Treasurer’s Office from a dilapidated bureaucracy to a service-centered, innovative leader in both the public and private sectors.”
Walls, reached by phone Tuesday, said she plans to file when the filing period opens March 16. The general election will be held Nov. 8.
As the county’s chief banker and investment officer, Walls is responsible for collecting and dispersing all property tax revenues.
Walls, in a news release sent by her reelection committee, cited a three-prong approach to being a successful treasurer: safeguarding tax dollars, putting customers first and creating leaders.
A website created by the committee touted several of Walls’ achievements including creating a flexible installment program during the COVID-19 pandemic so customers could pay any amount toward their tax bills.
Walls’ office also allowed customers to prepay their tax bills to avoid missing out on income tax deductions when a volatile tax-rate dispute between County Auditor Jim Beckert and the County Council forced a months-long delay of tax bills in 2020.
In 2020, Walls sued Beckert alleging that he harassed her and other employees for more than six years, threatened her, stalked her and made inappropriate comments about her pregnancy. Reporters confirmed some of the allegations referenced in Walls’ suit with other current and former county officials.
Walls’ lawsuit, as well as a similar suit filed by former County CFO Alicia Holland, are headed toward mediation — where the suits could be settled before trial.
Beckert, in filings earlier this year, denied the allegations.
In a wipeout vote last November, 79.69% of Beaufort County voters shot down a proposal that would have made the county’s auditor and treasurer appointed officials instead of elected.
The council proposed the referendum after grappling with how to handle disagreements with, and the harassment allegations against Beckert.
