This week, I took advantage of extended early voting and voted in the Isle of Palms election. I voted yes on the referendum to limit investment short-term rentals to 1,600 licenses, or 35% of households, and I voted for the four BEST IOP Council members – Bryan Duffy, Elizabeth Campsen, Scott Pierce and Tim Ahmuty. Ironically, the first letter of their names form the acronym BEST. This is not an endorsement of these candidates by this paper or a recommendation on how you should vote but an explanation of why I voted the way I did.
First, on the referendum. I recognize there are many arguments for and against. My vote was based on the fact that as a resident, I agree with most residents that we want to welcome our visitors, but we do not want to lose the residential feel of this island. With 35% investment rentals, unlimited long-term rentals and rentals up to 72 days allowed by law for residents, we could be pushing 50% rentals. Who knows where the tipping point is, but we are close. Once we get past the tipping point, there is no going back. Airbnb has made getting to the tipping point easy, which is why almost every community around us, including Sullivan’s, Folly, downtown Charleston and Kiawah, have short-term rental limitations.
The BEST candidates I voted for are all supportive of resident issues such as short-term rentals, limiting development in Wild Dunes, using taxpayer money like their own and recognizing that they work for us – not the other way around. On the last point, I have been especially shocked to see candidates such Rusty Streetman and Jimmy Ward treat the residents with disdain. I watched a tape of the Feb. 6 workshop, where Rusty says to the residents: “By golly, grow up” because they disagreed with his anti-resident stance. At other times, he referred to us as the “mob.”
At the recent forum, he said we must give nonresidents a “better voice” on island affairs. Really Rusty? Who are these nonresidents that will influence us residents? Jimmy Ward is on tape at a Council meeting watching residents applaud a speaker who disagreed with his position and asking: “What’s wrong with these people?” Do you mean the people you represent?
Every one of the recent votes cast by Rusty and Jimmy, from short-term rentals to the Wild Dunes zoning ordinance to the Marina, have been anti-resident. I recognize that Kevin Popson, Ward and Streetman have commercial interests they want to protect. However, they fail to recognize that regardless of their personal beliefs, they are there to represent the will of the residents of Isle of Palms. Sadly, they have forgotten this, and we the people must remind them of the basic tenets of democracy. That is why I voted the way I did. Regardless of what you decide, please make sure you vote and make your voice heard.
