Beaufort County approves $5M in funding for local events, parks, & projects

Beaufort County Council unanimously approved nearly $5 million in grant funding to local organizations and park projects that will help with tourism and activities for visitors and residents.

Beaufort is going to get a whole lot better.

“Local Accommodations Tax (“Local A-Tax”) helps to ensure our County is a great place to live, work and play,” said Chris Ophardt, Beaufort County Public Information Officer. “The County Administration would like to thank all those that applied.”

Beaufort County started the Local Accommodation Tax and Local Hospitality Tax application process in October 2021, with the closing of applications on December 31. The applications were reviewed by the Local Accommodation Tax and Local Hospitality Tax Committee for compliance with the local statutes and their individual need and merit.

The Local Accommodation Tax Fund budgeted $2,579,920 to award, and Local Hospitality Tax Fund budgeted $2,396,736 to award for combined total of $4,976,656 available to award for 2022.

The list of approved projects north of the Broad River is quite a good one, with lots of funding going into new local Whitehall Park on Lady’s Island and a phase 2 of the popular Broad River Fishing Pier.

The county also has supplied half of the $500,000 needed to erect the Harriet Tubman Monument at the Tabernacle Baptist Church on downtown’s Craven Street. The church has been raising monies for the project for the past several years, and the $250,000 grant is a significant boost to achieving the goal of having the monument on the same grounds as the Robert Smalls statue and his burial site.

For construction, preservation and renovations, the county also awarded over $250,000 to the historic First African Baptist Church of Beaufort, $200,000 for the construction of pickleball courts at the Burton Wells Park, and $75,000 to renovate the terminal at the Beaufort Executive Airport on Lady’s Island.

The list of approved Beaufort County funding projects includes:

• Whitehall Park Construction on Lady’s Island – $560,478
• Annual Boat Landing Maintenance – $200,000
• Burton Wells Pickleball Courts $200,000
  Note: $140,000 awarded by State ATAX
• Daufuskie Island Beach Access and Restrooms – $250,000
• Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail – Ribaut Road Crossing – $125,000
• Beaufort Executive Airport – Terminal Exterior Rejuvenation – $75,000
• Hilton Head Island Airport Air Service Marketing – $30,000
• Broad River Fishing Pier – Phase II – $230,000
• Friends of Port Royal Cypress Wetlands – Trail Map Brochure Birthday for the Birds 2022 – $1,375 partial award for marketing funds
• HHI St. Pat’s Parade Foundation – 2022 St. Patrick’s Day Parade – $10,000
• Daufuskie Island Foundation Daufuskie Day Celebration – $12,600
• Sea Turtle Patrol HHI – Sea Turtle Hospitality Event $5,000
• 2023 Beaufort Oyster Festival – $20,000 – Full award for marketing, police, fire and security costs. City of Beaufort co-sponsors event and contributes in-kind services.
• Pat Conroy Literacy Center – $134,000
• Gullah Museum of HHI – Gullah Museum Migrant House Renovation Project – $36,875
• First African Baptist Church of Beaufort – Repair and Preservation of Church $259,480
• Tabernacle Baptist Church – Harriet Tubman Statue – $250,000