Greenville County Council's finance committee handed off a hot potato Monday, forwarding a reassessment ordinance to the full council without taking a position on it.

That prompted some foes of the ordinance to say it gives them another opportunity to sway the council to kill it.

"That's when the public better get up off of their duffs and come down here in great numbers, in great force, and shake the pillars of the foundation of this building," said Butch Taylor, a leader of the Greenville County Taxpayers Association.

Committee Chairwoman Judy Gilstrap said after the meeting, "We feel like it's critical, it's complicated, and it's controversial. And we believe that all 12 members need to hear the full presentation and to make their decisions based on the presentation from the staff and from the public hearing."

Advertisement

Committee member Bob Taylor made the motion to send it to the council for its Aug. 1 meeting. But he opposes the ordinance and said after the meeting that he believes it would have failed in the committee.

In stating his opposition during the meeting, Taylor spoke of "that big gorilla that's sitting out there," a reference to the Greenville County school district's debt.

The ordinance calls for reassessment of property values this year rather than waiting until next year, after voters have had a chance to vote on capping increases in property values at 15 percent.

County officials have said delaying reassessment would cause nearly two-thirds of homeowners to have bigger property tax bills in the long run because most of the increased value is on the most expensive homes.

The five-member committee's vote was unanimous, with Scott Case absent.