By Joel Allen
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.
Read more: Local, Economy, Community, Myrtle Beach City Council, Voted, Property Tax Rollback
Myrtle Beach City Council members have voted to hand out a property tax rollback a year earlier than expected.
The 1 percent sales tax increase that the council passed last spring called for using 20 percent of revenue in the third year of the tax to give homeowners a credit on their property taxes.
Council voted Tuesday to move that up to the second year, though the change would have to be approved by the state legislature.
Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes says the fact that the election is right around the corner is not why council wants to make the change now. He says it's to convince people the government really will give them the tax credit.
"They've been promised before on things they haven't received. This council has delivered on every promise they've made, and we're going to deliver on this one if there's any way possible to accelerate it," Rhodes said.
Council passed the resolution unanimously.
Rhodes says the tax credit would eliminate 90 percent of property taxes on owner-occupied homes.
