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Mayor Perry declares state of emergency for Hilton Head Island
Summary
Mayor Perry declared a state of emergency Aug. 6 under municipal code 7-7-20 after the governor and Beaufort County issued similar declarations; town staff said the move enables reimbursement and contract authority and activates the emergency operations center.
Mayor Perry called a special Town Council meeting Aug. 6 after issuing a proclamation declaring a state of emergency for the Town of Hilton Head Island. The mayor prompted a legal review of municipal code section 7-7-20 before the council formally convened.
Curtis Coltrane summarized the legal basis: "7 7 20 of the municipal code authorizes the mayor to declare a state of emergency in the town when there is an emergency that, threatens or endangers lives and property." He added that the mayor's proclamation followed declarations by the governor and by Beaufort County and that council was meeting within the 12-hour window the code requires.
Orlando said the declaration has practical consequences for the town's response, including post-incident reimbursement and flexibility for emergency contracting. "What it really allows us to do is is be reimbursed, be reimbursed for the work we're doing, after the fact," he said, and noted the declaration signals that the emergency operations center has been activated.
Council members did not take additional formal action at the meeting beyond convening to satisfy the code requirement. Town staff and emergency management officials remain on duty and are coordinating response and public information.
