Posted on Thu, May. 25, 2006

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Latest tax plan hits Horry hard

By Zane Wilson

The Sun News

COLUMBIA - House members floated a property tax compromise Wednesday that would cost Horry County $45.3 million, more than any other of the 46 counties.

"We ain't going to be for that," said Rep. Jackie Hayes, D-Hamer, who represents part of Horry County. His home county of Dillon would lose $1.2 million under the plan.

Georgetown County would lose $249,380; Marion County, $1.6 million and Williamsburg County, $2.1 million.

Most counties lose out under the plan to swap the penny for property tax on owner-occupied homes for all school operating costs, but Richland County would rake in $16.4 million more and York County $13 million.

House minority leader Harry Ott, D-St. Matthews, got the figures from the state Office of Research and Statistics after the proposal was made public Wednesday morning.

Supporters stressed that it's still just a plan, and it includes $134 million in the form of a cut in the sales tax on food from 5 percent to 3 percent.

Gov. Mark Sanford issued a statement late Wednesday, saying he supports the proposal and is urging the Senate to accept it.

But little progress was made on an agreement on property tax relief and the state budget.

Serious talk emerged about extending the session beyond the June 1 closing date.

Sen. Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, chairman of the Finance Committee and Senate leader of both the tax and budget conference committees, said there is now not enough time left to make the deadline.

How long to extend the session, and whether to wait until after the June 13 primary elections, is also up for discussion.

Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, said the Senate would not wait until after the primaries, which is what the House wants to do. Many House members have primary elections, but senators are not up for election this year.

A bill was introduced in the Senate calling for bringing members back on June 6, but some said later they might consider waiting until after June 13.

Few could predict what will happen.

Leatherman said he thinks there will be agreement, but could not say when.

Ott said the Republicans are not letting the Democrats in on all the discussions and had not shown the minority party the 1-cent tax swap before offering it as a compromise with the Senate.

On another topic, the Senate gave the second approval to a bill that forbids the government to condemn property for public benefit. It must be for a specific public use.

Sen. Dick Elliott, D-North Myrtle Beach, wanted a provision requiring public land and private land under conservation easement to give free access to roads and utility lines, but that attempt failed.

Sen. Jake Knotts, R-West Columbia, held the floor for for a similar provision but later relented.

"We got some votes, but we don't have quite enough to get it done," Knotts said.

Their argument was that the public should not have to pay twice for land. Private land in conservation easement should be treated the same as public land in such cases because it receives a tax credit that other taxpayers have to make up for, Elliott said.