Letter: First, solve dire problems

Having lived on Hilton Head Island for 25 years, I am flummoxed by the town’s priorities.

We’ve allowed corporations to develop massive timeshares catering to weekly tourists. We’ve completed numerous beach renourishment projects, each costing millions of dollars. We’ve traded land for upscale apartments at Shelter Cove. We’re reinventing the south end with a bridge-to-the-beach concept including a playground complete with a replicated sailing vessel.

Meanwhile, after 20 years of discussing more basic problems, gurgling septic tanks and dirt roads still exist outside our posh, gated communities.

The county has proposed a 1 percent sales tax to dire problems but tossed in pet projects that may cause this referendum to fail. The $6.2 million for a reality check on a large Hilton Head entertainment venue is one of them.

Island taxpayers will also spend $600,000 on vision and arts consultants while we lose ground on those gurgling cesspools seeping into local waterways.

Recently, Tropical Storm Hermine pruned weak limbs, uprooted trees, and littered our island with landscape debris. A town that boasts being eco-friendly states we’re on our own for the storm cleanup, but we’ll get more days to burn. That’ll crank up our carbon footprint.

Creating a healthy, safe, and clean environment for all residents should be the top priority for our town. By directing funds to basic services instead of fluff, we could solve these problems quickly and move forward as a community.

This story was originally published September 16, 2016 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Letter: First, solve dire problems."