Beaufort County Council · District 8
True Republican
We don't want to go backwards. We want to go forwards.
A true Republican whose public service began in President Gerald Ford's administration — from the U.S. Treasury to Main Street Bluffton. Common sense, a clear view of government's responsibilities, and the habit of asking the tough questions before Beaufort County spends a dollar or signs off on growth.
Three major initiatives: no twice on Cherry Point legacy upzoning; no on 5B Road; yes on green space protections.
Voted no twice on legacy upzoning after organizing opposition. In April 2023 Beaufort County Council also approved a resolution authorizing demolition of structures at the county-owned Cherry Point Preserve on Highway 170 (District 6); the preserve borders Highway 170 and Planning Commission–related areas.
Used parliamentary maneuver to amend the agenda and revisit; $200K study showed the road wasn't needed.
Voted yes and pushed green space protections into county actions.
Priorities for District 8
Traffic, growth, and jobs deserve more than talking points — they deserve a council member who reads the backup, asks who pays, asks what breaks next, and treats county government like it answers to neighbors first.
Treasury-level discipline and private-sector rigor — asking the tough questions on contracts, debt, and priorities so government meets its responsibilities to taxpayers.
Common-sense planning and design: protect neighborhood scale, property values, and the Lowcountry sense of place — growth should answer to residents, not the other way around.
Economic opportunity and stormwater infrastructure that actually work in real weather and real traffic — accountability for the systems families rely on every day.
Meet Paula
On council, District 8 gets a member who lives where the budget, the plan book, and the stormwater map meet real life — not after the vote, but while neighbors can still shape a better outcome.
Paula Brown is a true Republican, and her first steps in public service came under President Gerald Ford at the U.S. Treasury — for Secretary William E. Simon and Treasurer Francine Neff. That Republican-led start set a pattern she carried into every later role: follow how money moves, read what is on the page, and keep the people who pay the bills in view.
In the private sector, she worked for Deloitte, Abu Dhabi International Bank, Coopers & Lybrand, and Friedman, Billings, Ramsey — including supporting two private equity funds focused on mortgage-backed securities. She understands risk, disclosure, and what happens when systems move faster than safeguards.
In 2004 Paula came to Bluffton and opened Flowers by Paula, her own small business, before a chapter in Virginia. She returned to Bluffton in 2012, worked with local CPA firms during tax season, completed paralegal studies at the University of South Carolina School of Law, and served in the legal department at CareCore National (eviCore healthcare) until a corporate merger eliminated her role in 2020.
Today she represents District 8 on Beaufort County Council — where her committee and liaison work ties finance and administration to planning, design review, stormwater, and the Town of Bluffton. It is the same neighbor-first instinct she honed in Washington and sharpened on Main Street: show up prepared, connect the line items to the street you drive home on, and keep county government answerable to the people who live here.
2023
Serving on County Council
D8
District 8 focus
5+
Boards & liaisons
Law + finance
Accountability lens
Your vote matters
Dates below follow the 2026 South Carolina election calendar. Always confirm your polling place and sample ballot before you go.
06.09.2026
Polls typically 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM. Many District 8 Bluffton voters poll at Bluffton Middle School, 30 New Mustang Drive — confirm on your sample ballot.
06.23.2026
If required, the top two candidates advance.
11.03.2026
County, state, and federal races on the general ballot.
Early voting generally opens before each election — confirm hours with the Beaufort County elections office.
Bluffton Middle School
30 New Mustang Drive, Bluffton, SC 29910
Precinct assignment updated — always verify your polling place on your sample ballot before election day.