Forum to focus on property tax reform plans

The League of Women Voters of the Charleston Area and the College of Charleston's Political Science Department will host a public forum Wednesday evening in Charleston on the hot topic of property tax reform. It is, many lawmakers say, the top political issue in South Carolina this year. The General Assembly is considering proposals that could dramatically change the way property is valued and taxed, while also raising the sales tax and altering the way schools, local and county governments, and others that rely on property taxes are funded. Battle lines are being drawn as business groups, government associations and property owners sort out who would win and who would lose under the different plans to redistribute the tax burden. The leading proposals in the General Assembly have been put forward by Charleston-area Republican lawmakers Sen. Glenn McConnell and Rep. Bobby Harrell. They are responding to local property owners who became enraged when their tax bills soared in 2005, following reassessment and a large school district tax increase. Speaking on Wednesday will be: --Holley Ulbrich, an economics professor and senior fellow at the Strom Thurmond Institute known for her analysis of tax policy. Ulbrich has suggested that property tax reform should be based on taxpayer's ability to pay, rather than across the board. --William Moore, a political science professor at College of Charleston and often-quoted political analyst who specializes in legislative processes in South Carolina. --Bill Scarborough, who heads the Tax Structure Subcommittee of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce opposes plans to reduce or eliminate homeowner property taxes by raising the sales tax. --Nancy Cook, chairwoman of the Charleston County School Board, which last week considered hiring a lobbyist to help the district fight proposed changes to the property tax system. The panel is scheduled to discuss tax policy from 7 to 9 p.m., and answer questions from the audience. The event is free and will be in Room 118 of the College of Charleston Education Center on St. Philip Street, between George and Wentworth streets.

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