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Committee denies $20,000 grant request from Beaufort Water Search and Rescue
Summary
Beaufort Water Search and Rescue requested $20,000 to replace two aging boats. After a presentation and questioning about tourism eligibility and service area, the Accommodations and Tax Advisory Committee voted to not approve the request, effectively denying the grant.
The Accommodations and Tax Advisory Committee voted to deny a $20,000 accommodations-tax grant requested by Beaufort Water Search and Rescue to purchase replacement rescue boats.
Patrick Hany, representing Beaufort Water Search and Rescue, described the volunteer organization’s operations and need for new boats. He said the organization operates from bases in Port Royal and Bluffton, has about 30 members at the main base and 10 in Bluffton, and responded to 97 rescue missions in the previous 12 months, totaling 2,249 man-hours — a 65% increase from the prior year.
A committee member questioned how many of those rescues occurred in Bluffton and raised concerns about whether the organization’s mission fits the accommodations-tax statute, which funds activities that encourage tourism. Hany said the group supports countywide emergency response, works with the sheriff’s department, DNR and the Coast Guard, and that other municipalities have provided funding in past cycles. He also said approximately 75% of the organization's missions were in and around Beaufort.
After discussion, a member moved to not approve the $20,000 request; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. The motion’s passage means the county will not provide the requested funds at this time.
The committee did not adopt conditions or a compromise funding amount on the record. Hany noted the group’s recent fundraising shortfalls and other local funding sources but did not secure the committee’s support for the grant.
