In a letter received by Sanford's office Tuesday, Hood requests that the governor "listen directly to (Jasper's) concerns." But Sanford spokesman Will Folks said it's the governor's senior staff who will continue to deal with the port debate that has Jasper and the S.C. State Ports Authority facing each other in a state Supreme Court duel.
For more than a decade, county officials have worked to bring a cargo container terminal to 1,863 acres of Georgia-owned land on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River and have recently signed a deal with private port developer SSA Marine.
Hood's request for a meeting with Sanford comes after the Ports Authority last week released three-dozen queries to private port developers in hopes of finding a private partner to build a proposed state-run marine terminal in Jasper County.
Hood described the move as "deceitful" and "high-handed," charging the Ports Authority with a "hijack" of the county proposal.
"We're one of the poorest counties in the state," the letter to Sanford states. "The direct economic benefits from this project to the county treasury would allow us to provide services and infrastructure our citizens need and deserve. It appears that the intent of the newer members of the (Ports Authority) is to divert our economic future."
In January, Jasper County filed its second attempt to condemn the Georgia-owned land on the Savannah River -- its first attempt shot down in September 2003 by the Supreme Court.
Later that day, the State Ports Authority filed a declaratory lawsuit in the Supreme Court seeking judgment that it is the sole entity that can build and operate ports in South Carolina and along the Savannah River.
"We didn't expect the barriers we ran into, the state saying we don't have the right to develop a marine terminal," Hood said Tuesday.
The governor's office makes appointments to the Ports Authority's board of directors with Sanford recently handing a Beaufort-area seat to Tom Davis, his former chief of staff.
Folks said there's little likelihood Sanford will meet personally with Jasper officials, though a response to Hood's letter hasn't been sent.
"The governor's senior staff has met and will continue to meet with all interested parties on Jasper County port development, including representatives of Jasper County Council," Folks said Tuesday. "We welcome all interested parties to the table."
Hood said he won't comment on the letter until the governor sends him a reply.
"Communication has not flowed freely," he said. "We need to get the governor's voice heard on this."