Date Published: May 22, 2006   

No agreement on property tax relief

The Associated Press

House and Senate conference committee members talked for hours Monday without reaching a final deal on how to cut the state's property tax on owner-occupied homes.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman said the key issue dividing the two sides is whether there will be an option for taxpayers to later vote to increase taxes to cover school-operating costs.

His counterpart in the House, Rep. Bill Cotty, R-Columbia, said the two sides have far more disagreements.

Monday's meeting ended at 10 p.m. with no time set for the committee to meet Tuesday.

The property tax debate is slowing down discussion of the state's $6.7 billion budget. Leatherman, R-Florence, said the budget conference committee won't be scheduled to meet until the property tax issue is settled.