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NOVEMBER 9–15, 2023
WWW.YOURISLANDNEWS.COM
PRESORTED PERMIT NO. 97 BEAUFORT, SC 29902
COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
ELECTION DAY 2023 ELECTION DAY 2023 BY THE NUMBERS (Winners in italics)
Mayor – Town of Port Royal Kevin Phillips
628
60.33%
Joe DeVito
411
39.48%
Write-in
2
0.19%
Town Council – Town of Port Royal
(2 at-large seats open)
Jerry Ashmore
826
Jorge Guerrero
645
54.77% 42.77%
Write-in
37
2.45%
Town Council – Yemassee* (2 at-large seats open)
Richie Hagan
133
31.52%
Daniel Anderson
120
28.44%
Peggy Bing-O’Banner
86
20.38%
Jerry Thompson
54
12.8%
Ty Shaw
21
4.98%
Write-in
8
1.9%
*Results are from Beaufort and Hampton counties
Mayoral candidate and sitting Port Royal Town Councilman Kevin Phillips gets in some last minute campaigning with some supporters on Paris Avenue on election day Tuesday, Nov. 7. Volunteers, from left, are Shawn Baynes, Logan Cunningham, Beth Dubois, Dianne Phillips (Phillips’ mother), Denise Duck and Ashton Viterbo, Phillips’ sister. Bob Sofaly/The Island News
A new direction
Beaufort County School Bond Referendum Yes
13,517 72.12%
No
5,226
27.88%
Phillips prevails over incumbent DeVito in Port Royal mayoral race
Fripp Island Bond Referendum 1 Yes
203
89.04%
No
25
10.96%
Fripp Island Bond Referendum 2 Yes
214
94.27%
No
13
5.73%
Fripp Island Bond Referendum 3 Yes
218
96.46%
No
8
3.54%
Source: SCVotes.gov
By Delayna Earley The Island News Port Royal has a new mayor. Kevin Phillips won the majority of the vote over incumbent Joe DeVito in Port Royal’s mayoral election Tuesday night. According to the unofficial results posted by the South Carolina Election Commission, Phillips received just over 60% of the vote with 628 votes and DeVito received almost 40% of the vote with 411 total votes. “It’s kind of overwhelming at the
moment,” Phillips said of his win. “I’m sunburned, I’m dirty and I’m exhausted, but I couldn’t be happier or more proud of the people Kevin who have helped Phillips me along the way. But mostly I’m just happy for the Town of Port Royal.” Phillips said that he was out campaigning from 6:30 a.m. on Paris Avenue along with DeVito. This is the second political office
that Phillips has held, the first being a seat on the Port Royal Town Council, a role that he was elected to in 2019. DeVito was campaigning for his second term as mayor. “One of the things I really tried to do with this election is get out and talk to all of the communities of Port Royal,” Phillips said. “We have a much more diverse community than most people know. We have a lot of military families, we
SEE MAYOR PAGE A8
Voters overwhelmingly pass School Bond Referendum By Mike McCombs The Island News If there’s one thing Beaufort County voters can agree on, it’s supporting their schools at the ballot box. It was true four years ago, and it proved true again Tuesday, Nov. 7 when more than 72% of Beaufort County voters who went to the polls voted “yes” for the Beaufort County School Bond Referendum. The bond referendum request-
ed $439 million in bonds to help deal with overcrowding in schools, bolster security measures and modernize outdated facilities. “This is the largest bond referendum in our district’s history, and its approval represents a strong show of support for our 21,500 students and their futures,” Beaufort County School District Superintendent
Frank Rodriguez said in a statement released late Tuesday night. “Our job now is to demonstrate to voters that their vote of confidence was deserved. We will work to ensure these important projects are completed on budget and in a straightforward and transparent fashion.” Candace Bruder, spokesperson
for BCSD, said before the election that this would be the largest bond referendum the Beaufort County School District has ever passed, topping the $345 million bond referendum passed by the county’s voters in 2019 with nearly 70% of the vote. This one was bigger and more popular, supported publicly by the Beaufort Area Chamber of Commerce, the Military Enhancement Committee and the United Way of
The Lowcountry. “Investing in education is essential to creating a more self-sufficient Beaufort County,” the United Way said in a statement supporting the referendum. “When our children have access to high-quality education, they are better equipped to succeed in school and in life. They are more likely to graduate from high
SEE BOND PAGE A8
NEWS
SPORTS
EDUCATION
INSIDE
Developer pivots from golf course to a plan for homes on Pine Island.
Eagles surge in 2nd half, survive, advance.
District holds ribbon cutting for renovated elementary gym.
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