COLUMBIA -- Gov. Mark Sanford vetoed a bill Tuesday night that would delay implementation of Greenville County's tax reassessment until next year.

Sanford said the legislation, which was supported by the entire county delegation, was unnecessary and unconstitutional.

The governor said a bill he signed last year gives counties the right to delay reassessments without any special legislation.

The county already had postponed implementation for a year. The bill, pushed by Sen. David Thomas, a Greenville County Republican, came as a surprise to county officials when it was introduced last month.

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"While I applaud the spirit of this legislation, we should be careful not to create new laws to do things already allowed in existing law," Sanford wrote in his veto message. "In other words, the county could decide tomorrow of its own accord to postpone reassessment for a second year."

Sanford said if lawmakers want counties to delay adjusting property values, "a statewide bill would be a more appropriate vehicle."

Thomas drafted the legislation so lawmakers would have time to finish work this year on proposals affecting property tax and reassessment systems.

The House has passed a resolution that would ask voters in November if they want to adopt a system in which property is reassessed only when ownership is changed or the property is significantly improved.

The Senate has passed a resolution to ask voters to OK capping reassessment increases at 15 percent .

Thomas couldn't be reached to comment Tuesday night.

Because only Greenville County lawmakers voted on the bill, only they would take up the governor's veto. Two-thirds of the county's delegation would have to vote to override Sanford's veto. All members voted for the bill.

Sanford traditionally opposes local legislation because he says it violates a constitutional clause that states "no laws for a specific county shall be enacted."