COLUMBIA -- About 25 Jasper County residents made the more than two-hour trip to Columbia on Thursday to applaud Sen. Clementa Pinckney's efforts to bring the county and the S.C. State Ports Authority together on a proposed $450 million port project.

At one point during Thursday's meeting of the Senate's Ports Authority Subcommittee, Pinckney called the Ports Authority an "800-pound gorilla."

Sen. David Thomas, R-Fountain Inn, said the state agency, which has filed a lawsuit against Jasper County in the state Supreme Court, is fighting the county's plans because it's afraid of competition.

Jasper County officials, including County Council Chairman George Hood and administrator Andrew Fulghum, traveled to Columbia to pitch their plans for the controversial port to the subcommittee.

"Jasper County is ready to develop this terminal with no burden to the taxpayers," Fulghum told the subcommittee.

The county has spent more than a decade trying to bring a port to 1,863 acres of Georgia-owned land along the Savannah River. It reached a development, management and loan agreement with private port developer SSA Marine in January.

But the Ports Authority is pursuing its own Savannah River port plans and has challenged Jasper County's legal right to build and operate a port. Both the county and the Ports Authority have begun legal proceedings to condemn the land, which Georgia uses for dredge spoil from the Port of Savannah.

On Wednesday, Pinckney, D-Ridgeland, presented a compromise that has the support of about 70 state legislators from both parties. But while Jasper County and SSA Marina have said they're willing to consider the senator's deal, the Ports Authority immediately rejected it.

Under its deal with SSA Marine, Jasper County would act as landlord while the private company develops and manages the site.

County officials stressed that taxpayer money wouldn't be needed to pay for the project, which would benefit the entire state.

"Half-a-billion dollars doesn't drop out of the sky every day," Pinckney said Thursday. "It's not just about a Jasper County project, it's something for the state."

Under Pinckney's proposal, Jasper County would collect $4 million a year for the port's first 32 years. However, the $2-per-container fee the county would receive according to its deal with SSA Marine would be paid to the Ports Authority.

After 32 years, the port would be turned over to the state.

Ports officials responded to Jasper County's argument Thursday by questioning the idea of turning a public port over to a private developer.

"It would be disingenuous for anyone to tell you when the terminal process could be completed," Bernard Groseclose, executive director of the Ports Authority, told the subcommittee. "Daniel Island should have opened this year. At one time (SSA Marine) announced they'd have a completed Jasper port last year."

Pinckney said he wants to hear from the agency next week about working on a resolution.

"It's a question of control; it's not a question of funding or operations or any of those," Groseclose said. "Is the state controlling the infrastructure that generates economic opportunities? That's the question."

Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, said the debate needs to address a larger "philosophical question" as to how the legislature wants to run ports in South Carolina.

"That question will be discussed before the full Finance Committee," Richardson said after the meeting. "I don't see us micromanaging to this degree."

Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, chairman of the subcommittee, said the group will draft a report for the Senate Finance Committee.

"So often counties do not travel to Columbia to meet with us," Peeler told the Jasper County crowd. "It means the world to us to see you here today."