People living on Tybee Island had the chance to hear from three candidates Wednesday who are running for Mayor.The current mayor, Shirley Sessions, is not running for re-election.The three took part in a public forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters and Forever Tybee.Each of the three candidates hoped to prove why they should be elected into office.”I feel like I have solutions for a lot of difficult problems,” said Mack Kitchens, a long time Tybee Island resident who has run for mayor before.”We need something a little different, don’t be afraid,” said Julia Pearce, a retired nurse and Tybee’s first black mayoral candidate.”We need leadership and guidance to move us forward into the next decade and into the next 20 years, 30 years,” said Brian West, who has previously served on Tybee’s city council.The three candidates answered a host of questions during Wednesday’s forum. One of the many hot button issues they tackled was how they would handle pop-up events like Orange Crush if elected mayor. “We have to face the fact we need outside help for some things. Yes, we need the county for certain things, we need the state for certain things, we need the federal government, and we definitely need the states help in this regard as well,” West said.”We need to pay attention, we need to talk to social media, talk to the organizers, we need relationships. We need to bridge gaps,” Pearce said.”Being held hostage for three days, that is just not acceptable,” Kitchens said.The candidates said they feel Tybee’s Police Chief, Tiffany Hayes, did the best job she could have with handling this year’s pop-up events.The candidates were also asked how they feel about Tybee Island’s short term vacation rental ordinance. All three said they support the regulation of STVR’s.”We have some neighborhoods that should be very quiet and should not have as many short term rentals. Other neighborhoods where you can’t help but have noise there because they’re pathways to the ocean. It might be more appropriate to have short term rentals in those areas and not in the quiet neighborhoods. I am in favor of keeping the limit we have, but I would also be in favor of shifting where they are,” West said.”We have lost a lot of community. We’ve lost a lot of our community and we would like to have it back,” Pearce said.”We need to bring the money back to the people here who have the permits and allow them to operate, whether they’re owner operators, or whether they own multiple units. We need to bring the money back here and let those people operate. The outside influences, they want to sell these properties, they’re on the market for sale, let their permits go. Let them go and leave the money here with the people who live here,” Kitchens said. In a lightning round of questions, Kitchens and Pearce said they would be in favor of a plastic bag ban. West said he would like to see standards established for grocery stores and restaurants before enacting an ordinance.When asked if they would vote to overturn the city’s smoking ordinance, Pearce and West said no. Kitchens said he would consider revisiting the issue.All three said they support a 35-foot height limit for construction.When asked if they would support an ordinance that regulates the use of large tents or other similar devices on the beach, Kitchens and Pearce said yes. West said no.Each of the three candidates also stressed the need for the mayor to communicate with council members outside of meetings.
People living on Tybee Island had the chance to hear from three candidates Wednesday who are running for Mayor.
The current mayor, Shirley Sessions, is not running for re-election.
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The three took part in a public forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters and Forever Tybee.
Each of the three candidates hoped to prove why they should be elected into office.
“I feel like I have solutions for a lot of difficult problems,” said Mack Kitchens, a long time Tybee Island resident who has run for mayor before.
“We need something a little different, don’t be afraid,” said Julia Pearce, a retired nurse and Tybee’s first black mayoral candidate.
“We need leadership and guidance to move us forward into the next decade and into the next 20 years, 30 years,” said Brian West, who has previously served on Tybee’s city council.
The three candidates answered a host of questions during Wednesday’s forum. One of the many hot button issues they tackled was how they would handle pop-up events like Orange Crush if elected mayor.
“We have to face the fact we need outside help for some things. Yes, we need the county for certain things, we need the state for certain things, we need the federal government, and we definitely need the states help in this regard as well,” West said.
“We need to pay attention, we need to talk to social media, talk to the organizers, we need relationships. We need to bridge gaps,” Pearce said.
“Being held hostage for three days, that is just not acceptable,” Kitchens said.
The candidates said they feel Tybee’s Police Chief, Tiffany Hayes, did the best job she could have with handling this year’s pop-up events.
The candidates were also asked how they feel about Tybee Island’s short term vacation rental ordinance. All three said they support the regulation of STVR’s.
“We have some neighborhoods that should be very quiet and should not have as many short term rentals. Other neighborhoods where you can’t help but have noise there because they’re pathways to the ocean. It might be more appropriate to have short term rentals in those areas and not in the quiet neighborhoods. I am in favor of keeping the limit we have, but I would also be in favor of shifting where they are,” West said.
“We have lost a lot of community. We’ve lost a lot of our community and we would like to have it back,” Pearce said.
“We need to bring the money back to the people here who have the permits and allow them to operate, whether they’re owner operators, or whether they own multiple units. We need to bring the money back here and let those people [with a STVR license] operate. The outside influences, they want to sell these properties, they’re on the market for sale, let their permits go. Let them go and leave the money here with the people who live here,” Kitchens said.
In a lightning round of questions, Kitchens and Pearce said they would be in favor of a plastic bag ban. West said he would like to see standards established for grocery stores and restaurants before enacting an ordinance.
When asked if they would vote to overturn the city’s smoking ordinance, Pearce and West said no. Kitchens said he would consider revisiting the issue.
All three said they support a 35-foot height limit for construction.
When asked if they would support an ordinance that regulates the use of large tents or other similar devices on the beach, Kitchens and Pearce said yes. West said no.
Each of the three candidates also stressed the need for the mayor to communicate with council members outside of meetings.