Beaufort's Extra Fishy Fish Camp

An impressive private island owned by the Clerk of Court's family appears to have connections to the sheriff who would rather this not be written.

A Director’s “transfer” to Sheriff Tanner

Mark Roseneau is married to the Beaufort County Clerk of Courts, Jerri Ann Roseneau. Up until recently, he had worked for Beaufort County as the longstanding Director of Facilities Maintenance. In that position, he had access to a county purchase card (P-card) and frequently worked with contractors who provided services for the county.

Following Mr. Roseneau’s recent resignation, he started a new “Project Manager” position for Sheriff PJ Tanner at the Beaufort County Sheriff Office (BCSO). This position appears to have been newly created, was likely not publicly posted, and may not have received more than one application during the hiring process.

Since properties owned by the county are historically under the purview of the County Administrator, why would BCSO need or want a position that the county already provides? Reviewing the BCSO organizational chart, it is difficult to imagine that a sheriff could reasonably claim to have purview over construction, electrical systems, and climate control issues, much less justify $120,000 for it.

As was relayed to this writer:

“How can he [Tanner] make a position to manage and improve ‘facilities’ when those facilities - by statute - are operated by the County Administration?”

The fish camp controversy

Mark Roseneau is listed as the President of Trenchards Island, Inc. since 2005 when it was registered with the Secretary of State. This one-acre property, accessible only by boat, is often referred to as the ‘fish camp’ in some politically connected Beaufort circles and includes the island(s) at the junction of the Story River and Trenchards Inlet.

As discussed on Big Patriot Radio’s House of Cards this week, at the center of this regional scuttlebutt are allegations that contractors vying for lucrative contracts with Beaufort County were strongly encouraged to donate their time at the fish camp to improve their chances of selection.

Details are sparce, but it is evident that the Roseneaus’ property has received significant improvements since it was acquired by the newly minted manager at BCSO. Improvements on file with the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the tax assessor’s office include:

• 2005: Installed non-water carried sewage.

• 2011: Submission of drawings by Gasque and Associates and a construction placard for Sea Island Dock Builders. Construction of a residential shed.

• 2014: A pier, boat dock, and gazebo were constructed.

• 2023: A general-purpose building was added, coded as “machine.”

Though the pictures are impressive, the Beaufort County tax records suggest that Trenchards Island has been a catastrophically poor investment.

It speaks volumes when transparency angers an elected official.

When researching this early in the spring, it seemed appropriate to be proactive in referring the reports, documents, and available FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) results to the Office of the Investigator General (OIG); on March 22nd, the OIG stated that they had referred the matter “for appropriate action” to SLED.

After Sheriff Tanner was apprised of SLED’s involvement and of this writer’s report to the OIG, he called on May 23rd in an attempt to dissuade this writer. A transcription of the call was immediately forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General as well as the Beaufort County Council.

So. Many. Questions.

Keeping this situation shrouded in secrecy has done little to dispel local curiosity, specifically…

• Did the sheriff cover up wrongdoings and then ‘recycle’ the issues to BCSO?

• Since the County is already paying for project management under the umbrella of county administration, how could the sheriff justify paying double for the same services using taxpayers’ money?

• Did Clerk of Court Roseneau honestly report her marital assets and/or did she improperly leverage her influence to pay <$50 in taxes monthly on a beautifully developed private island?

• With the attention to the P-card misuse, how can taxpayers be assured this is not another example?

• Have businesses been excluded from a lucrative Beaufort County contract because they would not ‘volunteer’ at the fish camp?

Will the authorities investigate?

As of the time of this writing, SLED, AG Wilson, nor the Council have responded to confirm or deny that an investigation of Tanner is ongoing.

With many more FOIAs pending, there are certain to be additional details in this developing story. Reports are welcome: lee@myrtlebeachsc.com or 843.422.6634