As state lawmakers awaited word from Gov. Sonny Perdue on which dates he would set for a special session of the Georgia General Assembly, the chairman of the Cherokee County legislative delegation said options for how a proposed $142-million property tax rebate would be distributed have emerged.

Perdue said the day after he vetoed the state government 2007 supplemental budget that an announcement would be forthcoming on when the special session would be held. He was meeting with legislative leaders to determine the best time for the special session, he said.

Perdue said he vetoed the supplemental budget as a spending plan that “will not happen on my watch” because it included less funding for prosecutors, toxic waste cleanup, investigations of internet predators and other needs he deems critical.

The Georgia House of Representatives overrode the veto of the approximately $700 million spending plan for the remaining weeks of the 2007 fiscal year, which ends June 30,but the State Senate didn’t act on the veto before the General Assembly adjourned April 20.

The veto has highlighted strained relationships between the governor and House Speaker Glenn Richardson, R-Hiram, over spending priorities.

The governor hadn’t announced the special session dates by press time; nor had he signed the $20.2-billion budget for the 2008 fiscal year (July 1, 2007-June 20,2008).

The chairman of the county’s six-member delegation, Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, said he discussed the budget issues with the governor last week.

Emerging concerns that could shape the rebate plan include recent decreases growth in state revenues and costs associated with passing out the property tax rebate that could lead to other options for the money under a revamped supplemental budget, Rogers said.

“We need to find the right public policy that addresses the ups and downs of the economy,” Rogers said.

Options include property tax credit, extension of the gas tax rebate and a sales tax holiday, Rogers said.

The county’s delegation includes Rogers and Sen. Jack Murphy, R-Cumming in the Senate, Reps. Charlice Byrd, R-Woodstock, Mark Hamilton, R-Cumming, Calvin Hill, R-Canton, and Sean Jerguson, R-Holly Springs, in the House.

“We’re all on record as voting for a tax cut and I fully support that,” Rogers said.

Jerguson , a freshman lawmaker, said there has been talk that the weeks of May 7 or May 14 may be the dates for the special session, but no official word was out yet.

So far, Jerguson said he hasn’t seen budget numbers that convince him to change from supporting the property tax rebate plan.

“It’s unfortunate there’s this much contentiousness over the budget,” Jerguson said.

Relations between the members of the Cherokee delegation are solid, Jerguson said.

“We get along wonderfully,” Jerguson said, citing the combined effort in successfully garnering approval for $7 million for a Canton campus of Appalachian Technical College as an example of its teamwork.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said lawmakers should work through differences over the budget.

“Continuing the veto override debate in the special session will only perpetuate confrontation and conflict, which doesn’t help the citizens we were elected to serve,” said Cagle, a Hall County Republican in his first year as president of the Senate.

“We need to be focused on agreeing to a solution that benefits Georgia and putting a plan in place to get there, not on who wins and loses in a struggle for political power,” Cagle said.