This year's countywide reassessment was expected to increase some property values by as much as three times their assessed rate, but a measure supported by the General Assembly and awaiting Gov. Mark Sanford's signature would cap those values at 20 percent.
But Wright, who has been the county assessor for more than 10 years, said entities like the county, school district and public service districts that rely almost solely on property taxes to pay for their budgets will have to find tax dollars held back by the cap somewhere.
"If the high value properties are capped, the other properties have to make up the difference," she said at the first of a series of public education meetings the county plans to hold on this year's reassessment.
Fripp Island resident Robert Robertson came to the meeting because of a mistaken mailing last year that would have had him pay taxes based on his reassessed property values even though the County Council decided to delay the reappraisal until this year.
"The bill I got was about three times what I'm paying now," he said.
The measure approved by the legislature last week would provide some relief for Roberts, but possibly at a cost to other property owners, Wright said.
Although state law restricts the county in a reassessment year not to collect more money from property taxes than it did the year before with the exception of new construction and inflation, County Administrator Gary Kubic said some property owners will see their taxes go up next year in order for the council to approve a balanced budget.
"You shouldn't walk away with the illusion that every property comes out (of reassessment) the same," he said.
In examples provided by assessor's office, a property that saw a 94 percent increase in property value from the last reassessment in 1998 would save almost $450 in county taxes if the cap is approved by the governor.
But a homeowner whose property increases 12 percent since 1998 will pay $403 more in property taxes than they would have without a cap.
The cap, which surprised area officials when it was snuck into state legislation by state Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, last week, would set back the county's reassessment plans about two months.
Reassessed property values that were supposed to be sent out to property owners in August would be delayed until around October if the governor signs the cap legislation, Wright said.
"We don't know what we're going to do," she said. "All we know at this point is that there is no way we'll have notices out by Aug. 1."
Meanwhile residents will be able to have their general questions answered on property values and assessments at public information meetings throughout the county over the next four weeks.
Five more public meetings are planned for north of the Broad River. All meetings listed below are at 5:30 p.m.:
Taxpayer education will continue with pamphlets sent out with the property assessments that explain reassessment, exemptions and appeals.
The pamphlet will include a hot line number for additional questions, including help in determining what a particular tax bill will be.