COLUMBIA--Blame it on the school districts. It's the fault of the local governments. Nope, it's because those Yankees are buying up Lowcountry property.

The South Carolina Senate panel charged with reforming property taxes heard it all during the six public hearings it held across the state.

The final one Tuesday evening in Columbia was no different. Residents from Spartanburg to Mount Pleasant told the lawmakers about high bills that in some cases threaten to tax them out of their homes.

"It's going to be cheaper to go to Acapulco than Edisto Beach if this keeps up," warned David Cannon about the increasing home and rental rates on the island where he lives.

Hundreds of people concerned about their rising property taxes spoke at the statewide hearings, blaming an assort-ment of interests and offering myriad solutions.

The remedies ranged from changing state laws to allow gambling to increasing the cigarette tax. But a sizable group is coalescing behind the idea of eliminating property taxes all together in favor of a 3 percent increase in sales tax.

The 12-member Senate subcommittee now will begin to develop legislation for next session.

Subcommittee members will meet in early October to begin the work and hope to have the final draft of the legislation done by early November.

Senate leader Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said he wants to complete all the committee work before the General Assembly returns Jan. 10.

"The day the session starts, I want it to be read on the desk," said McConnell, one of the panel's co-chairmen. "Now we are getting ready to crunch numbers and produce solutions."

A sister House committee will continue its meetings on the property tax issues today in Columbia.

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