Tensions boiled over during a recent Hilton Head Town Council workshop as Councilwoman Tamara Becker criticized Mayor Alan Perry and other officials for a lack of transparency and delayed communication regarding a Dec. 6 meeting about the U.S. 278 Corridor Project. Becker, frustrated by the timeline gaps, said the council was left in the dark about the meeting, which focused on addressing a $190 million funding shortfall for the bridge project.
The Dec. 6 meeting was held at Beaufort County’s request to review letters from the South Carolina State Infrastructure Bank and the Department of Transportation, outlining expectations for a funding plan by March 31 . The meeting resulted in commitments to assess cost estimates, identify funding sources, and outline next steps, according to a town memorandum.
Becker said she first heard rumors about the meeting on Dec. 4, two days before it occurred. “It was brought to me as, ‘What do I know about a meeting that was going to be held on Dec. 6?’ And I knew nothing,” she said. On Dec. 5, Becker called Town Manager Marc Orlando and learned the invitation had been sent by the county to a select few town council members. A couple hours after the initial call to Orlando, Becker said the town council was also informed of the meeting…