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Web posted Monday,
September 27, 2004
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Past
time for governor to decide on tax cap
If
Gov. Mark Sanford wants to be known as a strong,
decisive leader, he's headed in the wrong
direction.
After months of pondering
whether he wants to veto the Legislature's
decision to impose a 20 percent property tax
reassessment cap, the governor met the press in
Port Royal last week. He stepped up to the
microphone and, when asked about the cap, said ...
he still hasn't decided.
"I'm still
struggling with it," he said. "I'd like to be able
to make a decision and move on."
If he
thinks he'd like to move on, consider Beaufort
County officials who have already sent out
property reassessment notices. They wanted a
decision before tax bills tied to the new
assessments get mailed. Now they wait in fear,
worried that Sanford might not veto the cap
imposed by the Legislature. Or that the
Legislature might override a veto. Either way, the
county needs to know where it stands, because it
might have to give out refunds plus interest,
which could become a sloppy, complicated
mess.
We can't imagine what the governor is
waiting on. It seems obvious now that the cap
benefits the wealthy more than the people it is
ostensibly aimed at helping, the poor in danger of
being taxed off their land.
Here's what he
could do: Veto the cap, then urge the Legislature
not to override the veto. Why would they listen?
He could present them with a better option. Next
year, he could tell them, when they gather in
Columbia, they should draw up a law allowing
counties to set up a property tax relief valve
that considers income in the equation. That is
currently not an option, meaning some people can
indeed get taxed off their land.
Or, the
governor could continue to let his legal team
study the legislation, and watch his constituency
sweat.
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