Election Day Update

Via the AP 

Beaufort voters approve land preservation money

Beaufort County voters have approved plans to borrow $20 million for land preservation, including raising funds to buy or arrange conservation agreements on environmentally sensitive property.

More than 73 percent of voters supported the idea. Beaufort County voters have authorized more than $130 million for the land preservation effort over the last 15 years.

Officials say the latest borrowing will add about $10 to the property tax bill for those who own a $250,000 home.

The Rural and Critical Lands Program has spent more than $105 million since 1998. They have purchased more than 11,000 acres of land to prevent development. Another $52 million has been spent to arrange agreements with landowners who promise they will not develop another 11,000 acres.

The Beaufort County Open Land Trust manages the program and has identified about $57 million in property it wants to preserve.

Via WTOC 

HHI Mayoral race goes to runoff

The Hilto Head mayor's race will involve a runoff election.

There were five candidates in the race, so many people expected the runoff to happen. Even the incumbent mayor said he wasn't surprised by the results.

Almost 40,000 voters in Beaufort County came out to the polls and casted their ballots on Tuesday. Election officials said that's the best turnout for a Mid-Term Election. Eighty-one of 92 precincts in Beaufort County have been completely counted.

If neither of the Hilton Head mayoral candidates get 50 percent plus one vote of the votes after all the votes are counted, then it will go to a runoff between David Bennett and incumbent Mayor Drew Laughlin.

Laughlin and his team are already prepping for the election in two weeks.

“Largely, get out and vote,” Laughlin said. “We have to make sure we get our people back to the polls again. It means we're just going to have to work hard for another two weeks. I'm happy to see the folks out here. We had a lot of folks that work very hard, which is very gratifying and we just have to keep doing that.”