HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - With deadlines approaching this month, Beaufort County has decided it can't wait any longer for Gov. Mark Sanford's decision on a bill capping property tax increases.

The county will go ahead and mail notices at higher rates and pay refunds later if needed.

In June, the Legislature passed a bill that says counties can't bill taxpayers for any more than a 20 percent increase in their property values every five years.

Rapidly rising property values in Beaufort, Charleston, Horry and other coastal-region counties were a prime target of legislators.

Sanford, before and after taking office last year, has stressed that lower personal income taxes are a higher priority than lowering property taxes. Sanford has until the Legislature reconvenes in January to act on the legislation. Sanford spokesman Will Folks said there is no estimate of when the governor will act on the legislation.

With no decision from Sanford, Beaufort had no choice but to move ahead as if the legislation's 20 percent cap won't become law, county administrator Gary Kubic said. "We have no cap because the legislation is unsigned," Kubic said.

Still, software the county is using will let it send out revised notices later should Sanford sign the bill.

Other counties are in a similar fix, but most can delay implementing new, higher property values for a year. Beaufort already has exhausted that option.

Bernice Wright, Beaufort County's assessor, has said up to 75 percent of the property owners would pay less in taxes with the reassessment cap.

If Sanford waits until January to veto the bill and the Legislature overrides that action or if he let's it become law without his signature, counties implementing reassessed values without the 20 percent cap will have to pay refunds.

"It's going to be an interesting few months for us and the public because of this unknown factor of whether the governor will sign or veto this legislation," Kubic said.

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Information from: The Island Packet, http://www.islandpacket.com/