JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY
At the May 5 Columbia Borough Council workshop, officials discussed Truist Bank’s upcoming departure from Columbia Borough scheduled for July 28, 2026, which will leave the borough without a bank. A council member noted that it’s the third bank to leave town over the past 10 years.
Eric Kauffman, council president, said he was unsure of how to go about getting another bank in town and whose responsibility it is to do so. “I don’t know how you get another bank in Columbia,” Kauffman said. “I don’t know if that’s the borough’s responsibility, if it’s merchants’ responsibility, to try and get a bank in Columbia.”
Further complicating matters are restrictions on selling the bank building because of stipulations of sale stating it can’t be used for a bank — even though it’s designed for a bank.
Kauffman said that when the borough was searching for a loan a few months ago, one of the banks they dealt with was Fulton Bank. “We were very pleased with Fulton Bank,” Kauffman said. “Fulton Bank not only wanted to give us a favorable loan, but they also wanted our services.” He recommended moving the borough’s accounts to Fulton, noting that the issue will most likely be on next meeting’s agenda. Fulton has a branch located right off Route 30 at the Mountville exit, Kauffman said.
After Truist leaves Columbia, the only convenient options remaining for borough residents (besides online banking) will be the Wells Fargo ATM at the Columbia Plaza, and Northwest Bank on 18th Street, which is in West Hempfield Township.
Truist Bank, located at 325 Locust Street, has technically operated under its current name in Columbia Borough since its formation in December 2019, following the merger of BB&T and SunTrust, according to public records.
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