With their Aug. 16 primary approaching, Republican House District 24 candidates are squabbling over taxes and pledges not to increase them.

After Tom Ervin called for property tax reform, perhaps paired with a sales tax hike, along the lines proposed by GOP Senate leader Glenn McConnell, two opponents quickly noted they had signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to increase taxes.

That, Ervin said, was "unfortunate," contending it would preclude the pair -- Warren Mowry and Bruce Bannister -- from voting on property tax relief through an increased sales tax.

Ervin said a range of ideas suggested by McConnell should be considered. Among them: constitutional limits on property tax assessments and/or increases, limits on property tax rates and prohibitions on local tax increases without public referenda.

"My plan would be to abolish the automobile and property tax and replace the revenue with a sales tax increase that exempts groceries and prescription medications," Ervin said.

If that fails, Ervin said he would seek legislative agreement on unspecified other forms of property tax relief.

Mowry, a former Greenville GOP chairman, said Ervin's tax reform talk "is simply parroting what I and other Republicans have long believed and have worked for. Since Tom has only claimed to be a Republican since about April, I imagine he wasn't aware of our advocacy."

He referred to Ervin's recent declared switch from the Democratic Party that he served in the state House in the early 1980s and to which he donated $10,000 as recently as February.

Michelle Shain, a Greenville City Council member, is the only Democrat in the race for the seat vacated June 2 by Republican David Wilkins when he became U.S. ambassador to Canada.

She said comprehensive tax reform requires that all options be put on the table and that will require courage. Saying you pledge no new taxes hobbles that effort and puts an unrealistic expectation on possible solutions, she said.

But she said property taxes cannot be looked at in isolation of other levies because "that will create unintended consequences which could hurt essential services that local governments provide such as education, police, fire, and sanitation. Local governments are not the enemy."

Mowry said he would propose "ideas for development of our economic base that will broaden the revenue stream without raising taxes."

"I am aware of the thought of the three-sided tax base -- sales, property, and income. I know the governor's wish is to zero out the income tax, but I find property taxes to be more of a problem," Mowry said.

Bannister said he has long "been committed to lowering the overall tax burden on the citizens of South Carolina."

"I've put it in writing, given my word. We need to do something about property taxes, and the first place you start is with senior citizens, the ones on fixed incomes and least ability to pay."

William Herlong, the fourth candidate and a Greenville school board member, said his goal is a "tax system modernized and revitalized in a way that reduces the overall tax burden for citizens but ensures that the government is on stable footing for the 21st century and qualifies for the highest debt ratings."