COLUMBIA - Gov. Mark Sanford knows what has to be done to win an income tax break during one of the toughest budget years in decades.

Legislators expect a bill containing Sanford's proposed income tax cut, along with a 53-cent-a-pack increase on cigarettes and an overhaul of state Medicaid programs, to end up in conference committee.

But along the way, Sanford expects to do some horse trading, some cajoling of legislators and some old-fashioned grass-roots campaigning to get voters to pressure their lawmakers.

Gubernatorial tradeoffs with legislators can take many forms, including accepting their recommendations for magistrates, appearing at events for them and holding ceremonial bill signings.

"We're not yet at that stage. That's always the endgame stage where there's tradeoffs of this horse for that horse," Sanford said.

Any future deal making could be crucial for the state's Medicaid programs. Adding 53 cents to the state's current 7-cent-a-pack cigarette tax would generate $171 million for health care programs for the state's neediest residents.

In exchange for agreeing to raise the cigarette tax, Sanford wants to lower the state's income tax to 5 percent from 7 percent over 15 years.

Sanford, a legislative outsider in office for three months, knows relationships are key.

Sanford said Republicans who oppose the cigarette tax have far deeper relationships with legislators than he does.

"You can't out-relationship somebody who's had a relationship for 10, 12 years if you're the new kid on the block," he said. "I don't want to play on that field."

Instead, "I'm going to spend a lot of time going out and talking to people in their neighborhoods, because their neighborhoods will be the thing ... ultimately turning this thing around," he said.