Atlantic Beach candidates talk Bikefest, economic development

Atlantic Beach will hold its municipal election Tuesday for mayor and two open council seats at the community center on 32nd Ave. from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Mayor Jake Evans is running for reelection and is being challenged for his seat by William Booker and Darnell Price.

Council members Josephine Isom and Charlene Taylor are seeking reelection, and also running for council are Jacqui Gore and Eric. C. Lewis. Gore did not respond to repeated requests for an interview.

The offices are nonpartisan so the office-seekers do not run as party candidates.

Recent elections in the small seaside community have sparked protests from previous candidates and allegations of voting irregularities. In 2011, the town’s election commission voided the results and Gov. Nikki Haley interceded to order a new election held in May 2012.

Atlantic Beach election controversies have reached the South Carolina Supreme Court on three prior occasions because of allegations that poll workers did not follow proper procedures for challenged ballots, Haley wrote in an executive order when she ordered the 2012 election.

Voters were denied the right to cast ballots despite establishing residency, and the local election commission failed to comply with statutory procedures for contesting election results, Haley said.

In one case, the South Carolina Supreme Court “expressed grave doubts about the ability of the municipal election commission to properly conduct future elections,” Haley said.

The governor turned the election process over to the Horry County and state election commissions, and a second election was held in May. However, the results of that election were also challenged all the way to the state’s supreme court, and it wasn’t until 2013 that Evans took the helm as mayor.

“I hope we will do a lot better and the election goes a lot smoother,” Evans said on Thursday.

Asked why he is willing to endure the grueling election process, Evans said “I’ve been in Atlantic Beach since its inception 50 years ago, and I’ve been a part of it. It’s home to me and I don’t think anyone running against me can actually say that.”

If reelected, Evans said expanding economic opportunities for the community would continue to be a priority.

“We’re on the road and on the right path to do that, but it takes the town making itself attractive to new development,” Evans said. That means “getting rid of eyesores and maintaining the area to make it attractive to new developers.”

Booker, former Atlantic Beach town manager, said the council has failed to develop a vision for the town and that officials are not working with the housing board to redevelop publicly owned property.

“There are several issues of vital importance and it has to do with the direction for the town and how the town should be led and managed,” Booker said. “We need economic development, and better housing which will result in more revenue and jobs for people.”

According to Price, one of the town’s problems is that it doesn’t collect all of the money it’s owed, particularly on business license fees.

“The town can’t move forward until money is in the bank,” Price said. “Every time the town looks around, they don’t have money.”

Several candidates expressed concerns that the annual Atlantic Beach Bikefest is not bringing in as much money to the community as it is to the rest of the Grand Strand.

Price suggested that an outside association other than the town organize the event.

“It does bring in money for the town, but it can do better,” said Isom.

According to Booker, the event made $62,000 in 2011 and $52,000 in 2014, but only $28,000 last year.

“All Atlantic Beach gets credit for is everything that goes wrong, we don’t get credit for the revenue” that goes to other beaches along the Grand Strand, Booker said.

Taylor said the event needs to be reorganized to attract more families, and suggested more activities should be scheduled for participants, like the parades that were held in the event’s earlier days.

Lewis, the former police chief of Atlantic Beach, agreed that the town needs to find a way to collect more revenue from Bikefest, but said the community also needs to refocus on public safety, which would further development.

“To get great investors is to focus on public safety. If you have a safe town, you have a viable town and you have investors come into town. It’s time to see some changes in Atlantic Beach.”

Evans said the council recently created new commissions to deal with zoning and development to work with local residents to decide what type of development is best for the area.

Isom also said the current office-holders have accomplished a lot during its brief administration.

“I’m running again because I came across things in Atlantic Beach that need to be addressed,” Isom said. “Everyone should be represented, not a select few.”

Isom cited an audit of the town’s finances that was recently completed, and said now that the books are in order, they hope to keep the town in order.

Audrey Hudson can be contacted at 843-444-1765.

This story was originally published October 31, 2015 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Atlantic Beach candidates talk Bikefest, economic development."