News Release

Hilton Head Island Town Council Passes First Reading of Redistricting Ordinance

March 16, 2022

Boundaries for Hilton Head Island’s Town Council wards will shift slightly due to the once-in-a-decade requirement to ensure Island neighborhoods have constitutionally balanced representation.

The Hilton Head Island Town Council on Tuesday passed first reading of an ordinance that outlines redrawn lines for the Island’s six Town Council wards so they are nearly equal in population counts and preserves communities of interest. The new proposed ward map can be viewed at  www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/redistricting. 

Town Council’s Finance and Administration Committee hosted community-wide workshops to inform residents of the redistricting process.  In Hilton Head Island, Town Council wards must be redrawn every ten years following the U.S. Census, so each ward is balanced in population. Redistricting determines which neighborhoods are grouped into wards. It ensures each Town Council member represents about the same number of constituents.  The Town was last redistricted in 2011.

“The Finance and Administration Committee undertook a very deliberate and well thought out process to engage with the residents of Hilton Head Island in its redistricting plan. We held a series of workshops all around the Town to provide residents with opportunities to share their comments and thoughts. Each bit of feedback that was received by the Committee was discussed, reviewed, and where appropriate, incorporated into our redrawn map,” said Town Councilman Thomas Lennox, chairman of the Finance and Administration Committee. 

“I am proud of the work that the Committee and Town staff have done throughout this process, and I am confident that the redrawn Town Council wards represent the best options for all Island residents,” Lennox said. 

The number of residents in the wards is based on data from the most recent federal census and public input received in January, February, and March of this year. With this information, the committee reviewed and discussed multiple alternatives. 

To meet redistricting criteria, boundary lines for the wards must be contiguous. Wards must be geographically compact and must minimize the division of voting precincts, cities, counties, neighborhoods, and communities of interest to the extent possible.

“We worked hard to achieve a balanced population in each ward and meet our criteria.  Our next step, upon full approval from Town Council, is to submit the adopted map to the Beaufort County Board of Elections, which is responsible for providing citizens with updated voter information based on any changes within Town Council wards,” said Joshua Gruber, Deputy Town Manager. 

The redrawn ward map goes into effect immediately if Town Council approves second reading of the ordinance at its April 5th meeting. The public can still submit comments and questions and learn more information about redistricting on the Town’s website at  www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/redistricting.