Letter: What are Hilton Head leaders doing?

I have recently read in that Hilton Head Island has lost a percentage of businesses in 2016, while Bluffton has gained many businesses in that same timeframe.

I’ve been disappointed to see IHOP, Outback Steakhouse, Sam’s Club, Pizza Hut, and others leave the island recently.

My question is whether Mayor David Bennett has any plan to stop this exodus. I’ve heard nothing.

When I lived in a suburb of Dallas, our community passed a one-half cent sales tax, which was used to promote and preserve businesses. It provided incentives or tax abatements as needed to make the town flourish.

Is anybody thinking about this on Hilton Head, or are we complacent to continue to lose momentum to Bluffton?

This story was originally published February 21, 2017 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Letter: What are Hilton Head leaders doing?."