CHARLESTON, S.C. - A nonprofit group working to save the threatened Morris Island Lighthouse is worried about delays after Gov. Mark Sanford raised concerns about using state funds on the project.

The state Budget and Control Board, which owns the lighthouse, did not sign a construction agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as expected earlier this month. The pact, which outlines who pays what in the first phase of construction, is a key step to moving ahead on the 128-year-old light.

The unexpected hurdle comes as members of the group Save the Light closed in on their $600,000 fund-raising goal and grew optimistic that construction finally would start.

"We are very concerned right now. We feel that each day that goes by is a day the costs go up," said Jack Corgan of Save the Light. He said the lighthouse "has a little bit weaker foundation every day that goes by."

Members of the group hope to meet with the governor, who is chairman of the budget board, to figure out what can be done to get the project back on track.

Delbert Singleton, a budget board spokesman, said the board could revisit the question when it meets Jan. 25.

The state has committed $500,000 to the project, the first phase of which would stop erosion around the lighthouse's base. That involves installing a steel cofferdam surrounded by a ring of massive boulders.

At the board meeting, Sanford said he was concerned that the state was "literally throwing money into the sea." Sanford said he wants to make sure taxpayers aren't responsible for an "open-ended commitment" and that he wants "to put brackets around the edges" to ensure the state's share won't rise above $500,000.

Sanford spokesman Will Folks denied the governor was neglecting a state treasure.

"We certainly feel the state has done more than its share," Folks said. "The understanding was that the balance would be raised by private dollars."

Corgan said the private dollars have been raised, but, as with any construction work, there's a possibility of cost overruns. The Army Corps of Engineers, which is putting in two-thirds of the $3.2 million cost of the project, is unwilling to cover any overruns.

Former Folly Beach Mayor Richard Beck, who is with Save the Light, said the budget board discussed the lighthouse behind closed doors, so the exact reasons the agreement wasn't signed are unknown.

"All we know is ... the project is stopped," he said. "We've lost 30 days. Hopefully, that's all we've lost."

If the erosion control work is done, then Save the Light would turn its attention to the second phase of the work, which involves repairing the foundation by injecting concrete through the wood-piling foundation to fill any areas eaten by worms.

The final phase involves cosmetic work, including a paint job that would restore its original appearance: two horizontal black stripes on a field of white.

The lighthouse, stranded in the surf off Morris Island, won't be restored for public visits of its interior.

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Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.charleston.net/