Hilton Head Island Ward 4: Tamara Becker looks to retain council momentum
The lone incumbent in this year’s mayoral and Town Council races, Hilton Head Island Ward 4 Councilwoman Tamara Becker is seeking a second term.
As the town approaches a critical point on the U.S. 278 project and workforce housing need, Becker says she’s been well-engaged with during her tenure with these issues.
Becker ran unopposed for the Ward 4 seat in 2018 after then-incumbent Kim Likins, her current opponent, chose to enter the mayoral race.
A 13-year island resident, Becker holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling. She also earned professional certifications in K-5 teaching and criminology.
The Island Packet sent questionnaires to candidates in contested races and limited their responses to 150 words.
Here are Becker’s answers:
Which campaign issue is most urgent to you? Why do you feel that issue should be the top priority?
Stopping overdevelopment that leads to loss of quality of life for residents while respecting the visitor experience is a priority.
Our visitors are our economic driver, they also most often are our next resident/neighbor but if we don’t return to prioritizing our residents, people may visit but choose to live elsewhere.
What is your position on the recently approved U.S. 278 plan?
The recently approved MOA (Memorandum of Understanding) between HHI and the County Council provides that an end-to-end study be conducted by an independent consultant. This is a good thing. The recently approved MOA acknowledges that the Town of Hilton Head will install a computerized lighting system that will allow for a free flow of traffic on the corridor and 278 all the way through to Sea Pines Circle, only stopping traffic for side road traffic build up. I worked on getting this agreed to and fully funded.
The MOA does not provide for HHI citizen participation but only a committee of six unelected, unaccountable staff and administrators, most of whom do not live on HHI. This is why I voted no. This agreement misses the critical elements that I require to have accepted the agreement. The County Council has demonstrated their lack of respect for the residents of HHI — over and over again.
The current Town Council has a wealth of history and information on the bridge.
What steps would you take to address the shortage of workforce housing on Hilton Head? Is the solution a public or private sector issue? Should Hilton Head focus on encouraging housing off-island through the Regional Housing Trust Fund or build locally?
I have been on Council for four years and we have taken several steps to address workforce housing. Following the consultant’s recommendation, we have created incentives for rehabbing and redevelopment of vacant office space into housing opportunities. Several private companies have taken advantage of the program resulting in workforce housing options.
Further, we followed the consultant’s suggestion to provide incentives to developers/investors by offering to increase density for a percentage of workforce housing. That was a program that did not result in island character development and I do not support.
We have entered into a private/public partnership option. Those proposals are currently under review. We have committed a 12-acre, publicly owned parcel of land without restrictions for the development to happen on.
We have agreed to enter into the Regional Trust Fund to work collaboratively with other municipalities to construct workforce housing options throughout the region and make them open and available to HHI residents
The Chamber of Commerce receives significant public funding each year, but is not subject to the same transparency laws as the Town Council. What steps would you take, if any, to secure greater transparency from the chamber on where public funds are being used?
Public funding of every organization receiving money should be subject to periodic review and audit as allowed by law.
Friction between development and maintaining Hilton Head’s character has been highlighted. How do you think the town should balance the two? At this time, is it more important to develop for the future or preserve the past?
I am not sure I make the same connection as presented.
The over-development of the island puts strain on the quality of life in many ways and because of this we are losing the very thing that brought many of us here. We are a residential resort community and our residents are not a focus.
We must develop for the future but that does not mean continuing to build for higher capacity and more cramped living — all of which, if allowed, will change the natural character and culture of the island. Protecting and preserving the past means that we develop only that which does enhance the past and preserves what brought us all here — the environment, the culture, the wildlife, the family safe community life.
