Dear Sea Pines residents,

First, thank you to the homeowners who shared their feedback with the CSA Board this week regarding the creation of a Special Tax District. We sincerely value your input and will use your comments to drive our thinking and our approach.

A handful of comments called into question why the CSA Board is not pursuing a referendum as the method to secure funding for our community. As a Sea Pines homeowner, I hear you and I agree with you. I too would have preferred going the route of a referendum. However, after much discussion with the necessary parties, finding a path to a successful referendum in which all participants paid a fair share was not a possible option. And so, with that off the table, we must now pursue the only, and most equitable, vehicle for securing the funds to ensure our property owners’ investments and the future of Sea Pines – a Special Tax District.

With the referendum in our rear view and the Sea Pines Special Tax District on the road ahead, we must come together to support the future of our community by funding capital improvements and infrastructure projects such as roadway repair and stormwater management.

A number of homeowners additionally requested information on how the tax will be levied. The Special Tax District tax will be applied to your property’s “taxable value,” which does reflect a difference in the assessment ratio between non-residents (6%) and residents (4%). We understand that this places a bigger burden on non-residents, but that is the result of the county and state laws.

Per S.C. law, voters registered in Beaufort County who live within the Special Tax District boundary are eligible to vote in the special election for the Sea Pines Special Tax District. I understand this means many of you cannot cast a ballot in this election. However, the Board strongly considered that an overwhelming majority (72%) of the 4,200+ property owners who participated in last year’s vote supported paying additional funds for capital improvements and infrastructure projects. This tells us the majority of residents and non-residents alike see the need and agree that action must be taken.

Please on the lookout for my ongoing communications regarding the Sea Pines Special Tax District, as I look forward to sharing more information with you in the coming weeks.

We are updating weekly a list of frequently asked questions and answers located at seapinesliving.com/specialtaxdistrict. I implore you to visit this site and get the facts as they are available.

If your question is not answered or to share additional feedback, email comments@csaseapines.com.

Sincerely,