3 Republicans square off in County Council forum

As the county continues to grow there needs to be a conservative voice on the County Council when it comes to how money is spent, according to the three Republican candidates vying for Beaufort County Council's District 9.

Bill Bootle, Brian Flewelling and Tommy O'Brien each agreed at a Thursday night candidate forum before Tuesday's primary that the county needs a plan for growth that will protect what Beaufort County already has and benefit all municipalities.

The candidates also said they wanted to see open, responsible spending of taxpayer moneyand that government should step aside when it comes to boosting tourism or building a public conference center. Something, they said, should be done to attract better-paying jobs in the county.

The three are competing for the seat being vacated by Skeet Von Harten.

While the candidates essentially agreed on many questions posed, there were some variations on growth.

Bootle said smart growth makes sense as long as there is adequate infrastructure that doesn't overtax residents. He supports the Northern Beaufort County Regional Plan because it forces the county to work together.

O'Brien supports the Northern Regional Plan as long as it benefits everyone. Smart growth is just another new catch phrase, he said.

"Let's go back to controlled growth with a county-wide density standard," he said.

Flewelling said smart growth should be sustainable and the increasing service costs to the community should be paid by the developer. While he voted for the Northern Regional Plan, it should annex entire neighborhoods instead of individual properties.

The candidates each had a different strategy for enticing businesses to the Beaufort, Jasper Multi-County Industrial Park. O'Brien said to attract the businesses, the county should provide the infrastructure necessary for industries such as roads and water. Bootle said the county needs to advertise and let businesses know exactly what it wants. But Flewelling said the best thing government can do is get out of the way.

And when it comes to what should be done to encourage the sale of the $27 million Port of Port Royal for redevelopment, Bootle and Flewelling said it is something the town should address, not the county. O'Brien suggested the county purchase the property as open space for residents.