Gov. Mark Sanford's dithering on the bill that would cap property tax assessments on high-end homes has forced Beaufort County officials into a decision they may regret. This week, they decided to send out tax invoices based on the higher valuations established in this year's reassessment of taxable property.

If Sanford vetoes the bill, as he should, the county will be OK.

But the county will face big trouble financially if Sanford signs the bill, which would bar S.C. counties from billing taxpayers for more than a 20 percent increase in property values every five years. In that eventuality, Beaufort County would have to send refunds to 75 percent of its residential taxpayers.

That would be great for them but a disaster for all other property taxpayers in the county. Unless the county drastically slashed public services, they would have to make up for the tax break accorded to the county's wealthier homeowners.

More seriously, the S.C. constitutional provision requiring fair and uniform taxation would become a mockery. The only way to apply that principle to the property tax is to use market values to determine a given property's tax valuation.

To sign the tax cap bill or let it become law would perpetuate an outrage. That, especially, is why Sanford should end his long period of post-legislative-session contemplation and veto it.