The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners approved several items on its agenda at its meeting Monday. In other action, the board:

• Turned back by a vote of 4-3 a proposal by Commissioner Hood Richardson to cap the county’s property tax rate at 51.5 cents per $100 valuation if the county’s voters approve a sales-tax increase in May. Commissioners Stan Deatherage, Jay McRoy and Richardson voted for the proposal.
• Voted 5-2 to approve $10,867.75 in travel requests, with Commissioners Deatherage and Richardson casting dissenting votes.
• Unanimously approved tax refunds as follows: $350 to Jerry and Sue Creech to refund duplicate solid waste fees; $93.07 to Mary G. Felker for 2011 as a result of a billing error, and unanimously approved adjustments to the Flanders Filters Inc. tax valuation to reflect the value of construction-in-progress in Beaufort County instead of all the company’s locations.
• Appointed Betty Murphy to the panel that oversees the assets of the Beaufort Regional Health System and delayed three appointments to the Beaufort County Community Advisory Council.
• Voted unanimously to approve a budget amendment for the Department of Social Services to reflect additional state funds distributed to counties to offset the cost of child care and emergency energy assistance; a budget amendment to the county’s Inspections Department to offset funds appropriated to the county to offset costs associated with Hurricane Irene; a budget amendment for the county Health Department to offset state funds to counties for family planning, immunization and environmental health; an amendment to the county manager’s budget to reflect the $30,000 paid to a lobbyist.
• Voted unanimously to approve a lease with the Town of Aurora and a monthly rent of $600 to operate a solid-waste “convenience center” off of State Road 1921. The commissioners also authorized the payment of back rent to the town.
• Voted 5-2 to designate April as National County Government Month with the theme of “Healthy Counties, Healthy Families.” Commissioners Deatherage and Richardson cast dissenting votes.
• Scheduled meetings of the 2012 Board of Equalization and Review to begin April 19 at the county’s administrative offices on Third Street.
• Scheduled a meeting for 6 p.m. Monday to hear a report from Tom Thompson, the county’s economic-development director, on activities during the past year by the county Economic Development Commission.