ElectionsWednesday, November 4
Beaufort County voters narrowly approve a $780 million penny tax for roads
The 5AM Hilton Head Island team
If you sit in traffic on Hilton Head, Tuesday's vote matters. Beaufort County voters narrowly approved the 1% transportation sales tax, 40,951 to 39,724, a 1,227-vote gap in preliminary results with every precinct reporting. A second question, letting the county issue up to $450 million in bonds, passed 42,660 to 40,276.
Both ballot questions passed by narrow margins
| Yes | Measure | No |
|---|---|---|
| 40,951 | Penny tax votes | 39,724 |
| 42,660 | Bond votes | 40,276 |
Source: Hilton Head Island Packet
The tax would raise $780 million over nine years for 87 projects. Collections would begin May 1, 2027, and the county's sales tax rate would go from 6% to 7%. The bonds would be repaid from that revenue, not from an added tax.
- Hilton Head: Spanish Wells and Squire Pope Road, both at William Hilton Parkway
- Bluffton: William Fording Island Road (U.S. 278)
- Okatie: Highway 170 and Highway 46
- Port Royal: Lady's Island Drive and Ribaut Road
It was the county's eighth transportation tax question since 1996. Four of the previous seven failed, including a $950 million ask in 2024. Heather Woolwine of the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce told WSAV the island has two of the most dangerous intersections. Critics like the Beaufort Tea Party called the amount too ambitious.
Sources: Hilton Head Island Packet, Post and Courier, WJCL, WSAV-TV