Mike Covert best choice for County Council District 7
Bluffton businessman Mike Covert is the best choice in this Tuesday’s GOP primary for the Beaufort County Council District 7 seat.
Covert is challenging incumbent Cynthia Bensch. The winner faces no Democratic competition in November.
Covert’s greatest potential is to help unite a fractured council. He has a proven ability to get along with others and show leadership. These abilities are lacking on the County Council.
Covert tells us he understands that Beaufort County is a single entity; there is not a southern version and northern version of the county. He said that what is good for Beaufort is good for Hilton Head Island and vice versa. His election would be a decisive step forward for this mindset, particularly for District 7.
Covert, 48, has lived in the community about 20 years, half of it as owner of his own heating and air-conditioning business. He is current president of the Bluffton Rotary Club and is a visible figure in televised local high school football games.
This is his first run for public office. But he got a good baptism in countywide politics by serving on the 2014 Capital Projects Sales Tax Commission. This independent body put together a list of potential projects for a 1 percent sales tax, but Beaufort County Council voted not to put it on the ballot.
Covert has served on many local boards, and, this February, his business was named the Bluffton Regional Business Council Member of the Year at the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce ball.
Covert and the business were cited for charitable involvement, including Toys for Tots, Backpack Buddies of Bluffton and “Operation Warm-Up” started by the company to repair or replace heating systems in the homes of those who cannot afford them.
Through his business and civic involvement, Covert has shown skills that could help Beaufort County Council.
This story was originally published June 12, 2016 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Mike Covert best choice for County Council District 7."