Columbia council poised to hike tax rate to 10 mills, a 25% increase
Columbia Borough’s municipal tax rate is set to rise by 2 mills, bringing the current rate of 8 mills to 10 mills for 2025.
At Wednesday’s budget meeting, which lasted almost three and a half hours, council proposed the hike, which equates to a 25% increase. Another 2 mill hike is likely for 2026. Council will vote to advertise the 2025 budget at next Tuesday’s regular meeting.
The current 2 mill hike means that a property assessed at $100,000 will pay an extra $200 in taxes annually. The amount of the increase is found by multiplying .002 x a property’s assessed value.
The archived livestream of the meeting, which was unfortunately plagued by audio problems, is posted at the borough’s YouTube channel: @columbiaborough9889
The budget sheets are HERE.
UPDATE: 1 to 3 mill tax hike possible in Columbia
The page shown above appears in the November 20, 2024 meeting packet, showing proposed municipal millages for Columbia Borough for 2025. The amount of increase has not been voted on yet, but could range from 1 to 3 mills. Council agreed to raise taxes by 1 mill at its November 7 workshop. The current municipal millage stands at 8 mills.
Tonight’s special meeting was scheduled to allow for public comment. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the municipal building (borough hall), 308 Locust Street. The meeting packet is HERE.
Letter writer criticizes Columbia council on tax hike
[NOTE: This letter appeared in today’s LNP/LancasterOnline.]
Columbia Borough Council has discussed and agreed to raise taxes by 1 mill for 2025. Doing so will bring the municipal tax rate to 9 mills. Columbia Borough has the second-highest municipal tax rate in Lancaster County.
The topic of a tax increase was not specifically listed for discussion on the Nov. 7 agenda. The agenda stated that it would be a review of fund budgets. Once the topic turned to raising taxes, the discussion should have ended and been placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
Instead, the discussion about a tax increase became a detailed deliberation and went on for more than 50 minutes. According to LNP | LancasterOnline coverage of the Nov. 7 meeting, the council members ultimately agreed “to raise property taxes by 1 mill in 2025 to help counter a proposed $1.5 million to $1.7 million budget deficit on an $8.81 million spending plan for the borough’s general fund” (“Columbia Borough will raise taxes for first time since 2018,” Nov. 8 LancasterOnline.com).
Council members decided to schedule a meeting for public comment at 6 p.m. today, nearly two weeks after their initial discussion.
The decision to take more money from taxpayers is being made during a time when the borough has no finance manager.
Next April, many Columbia Borough homeowners will have to come up with an additional $100 to $200 in order to pay their municipal taxes. This is money that could be used to pay for groceries, utility bills, insurance premiums, etc. Taxpayers are being forced to tighten their belts because our elected officials won’t tighten theirs.
Sharon Lintner
Columbia
About Town – November 17, 2024
This week’s photos of Columbia
(Click on photos to see larger, sharper images.)
anndope created these Christmas-themed pieces for the State Theatre Vintage Emporium on Locust Street.
Her Linktree is HERE.
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And here’s a possible early sighting of Santa Claus.
Continuing the Christmas theme, the Turkey Hill cow (which was featured in last week’s “About Town,”) got a scarf in preparation for colder weather.
The Washington Boro skeleton, wearing a pilgrim’s hat, indicates that to get to Christmas, you first have to go through Thanksgiving.
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Not everyone believes in this.
It’s really about women’s rights.
How many Christians really follow these?
Anyway, JESUS SAVES BARON VON BRUNK
There’s the Baron now – on Bridge Street.
For several days, a contractor was working to line the storm drainpipe from Heritage Drive to the outfall along the river.
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jgenvironmental is interested in buying the borough’s old sewer plant near the railroad tracks, but Norfolk Southern is holding up the works – allegedly.
Is that where the gold is kept?
This cat, whose name is reported to be “Yellow,” hangs out in in Avenue F.
Apparently, the F stands for “felines,” because these two were there, too.
The town clock, whose time is never right
A harvest-themed wheelbarrow at Tollbooth Antiques
Roses poking through along Chestnut Street
This flag was standing among the commemorative bricks at the bridge plaza.
Someone left a cookbook at the River Park pavilion.
FREE
(Does it include the skid?)
A flame next to a bottle of propane –
What could go wrong?
VETCENTER
A character in Avenue F
Here’s a plaque from one of the many contractors who have poured sidewalks in Columbia. Contractors used to install plaques such as this one, or imprint their name into the concrete.
There might be bird seed for sale behind that window.
Yes children, potato chips used to come in metal cans.
Fallen grate
No turn arounds are allowed in the private parking lot.
An old refrigerator/cooler for sodas, etc., complete with fake wood grain
The birdhouses were leaning a bit at Bootleg Antiques.
So, where is the driver’s seat?
Farm equipment for sale at Tollbooth
$400,000 for repairs!
On Monday afternoon, police from at least three different departments apprehended the driver of a truck on Route 30. The suspect was arrested just beyond the Columbia exit, after traveling across the Wrights Ferry Bridge from the direction of York County. He was then handcuffed and placed in a West Manchester Township police vehicle. At one point, six police vehicles were on the scene.
Columbia Borough and Springettsbury Township were also among the responding departments.
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And last, but not least, here are two pics of this evening’s sunset:
Public meeting on tax hike – Wednesday, November 20, at 6 p.m.
Columbia Borough residents are urged to attend a special public meeting to discuss council’s recent tax hike proposal. The meeting will be held at the Municipal Building at 308 Locust Street St., Columbia on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 6 PM .
Deeds Recorded – Columbia Borough – November 17, 2024
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Martin J. Austin conveyed property on Walnut Street to Martin J. Austin, Stein Marianne for $1.
Christman Alexa Justine conveyed 533 Manor St. to Trusted Property Group LLC for $80,000.
Cimarron Investments LLC conveyed property on a public road to S& DP 369 Locust LLC, La 369 Locust LLC, 369 Locust LLC for $3,000,000.
JDW Property Solutions Inc. conveyed 436 Union St. to Darryl M. Wilson for $199,900.
Columbia school board ponders adding health clinic on-site for employees | Community News | lancasteronline.com
When: Columbia Borough school board meeting, Nov. 7.
What happened: School district employees may soon be able to receive health care on-site, as the district and Penn Medicine HealthWorks are in discussions to construct a 1,500-square-foot clinic at the district administration building, 200 N. Fifth St.
Background: Services would include primary in-person and virtual care, including physicals and immunizations, as well as an on-site pharmacy, Robert Drummond and Keith Fox of Penn Medicine told the board.
Details: As a joint capital investment, the district and Penn Medicine HealthWorks would share decisions regarding the construction of the clinic space and the hiring of staff.
By the numbers: Penn Medicine offered to invest $135,000 in furniture, equipment and technology, while the school district would cover the cost of building the clinic, estimated at $350 per square foot, or a total of $525,000. In addition, Columbia Borough would cover $104,000 for primary care services, or $135,000 if counseling services are offered. Penn Medicine would in turn pay $42,000 to lease the clinic space.
Patients: Employees and their dependents would expect to pay a starting rate of $34 or $59 per month for child or adult patients, respectively. This rate would increase over the course of the first two years of the contract. Columbia Borough School District members would also have the ability to access the other Penn Medicine HealthWorks clinics.
Next steps: Penn Medicine is drafting a five-year contract, and the district will vote on it in December. If the district accepts the proposal, the clinic would open between the fall of 2025 and winter 2026.
MORE:
Columbia may give away borough-owned home, but buyer would have to move it | Community News | lancasteronline.com
When: Columbia Borough Council meeting Nov. 12. Mayor Leo Lutz was absent.
What happened: Columbia Borough may give away a home it owns, but there’s a catch. The new owner must pay to move the house from its current location.
Details: Council members voted to advertise the sale of and accept bids for 700 Franklin St., a 1,521-square-foot, three-bedroom home with one bathroom and a basement.
Quotable: “We’re willing to accept the best bid,” Heather Zink, council president, said in a Nov. 14 phone call. “If it is zero dollars, we’ll take it.”
Why it matters: The structure sits on land that will become part of the McGinness technology park, and the borough must either demolish the property or arrange for a new owner, who will move the house.
More: Real estate websites have estimated the house is worth between $238,000 and $239,000.
Timing: The borough had not yet publicly advertised the sale as of Nov. 14, Zink said during the phone call. During the meeting, Zink said she hoped council could open bids in late December. A new owner should move the property by April 1, Derek Rinaldo, borough engineer, said.
Budget: Sharon Lintner, a former council member, asked council to consider the stress the proposed 1 mill tax increase will have on some of the borough’s economically disadvantaged residents.
Background: On Nov. 7, council members agreed to raise property taxes by 1 mill in 2025 to help counter a proposed $1.5-million to $1.7-million budget deficit on an $8.81-million spending plan for the borough’s general fund.
Quotable: “We have a lot of poverty. We have a lot of Social Security recipients,” Lintner told council members. Combined with other cost-of-living increases, “It does add up and puts a burden on people when they have to write that check,” she said.
Cost to homeowner: One mill would net the borough $438,000 in revenue. An owner with property valued at $100,000 would see an annual tax payment increase from the current $800 to $900.
What’s next: Council will hold an additional public meeting Wednesday to hear comments about the budget.
Grant request upped: Council members voted to ask the state Department of Community & Economic Development for a grant for $300,000 instead of the planned $200,000 to make structural repairs to the Columbia River Crossings Trail Center. [SPY NOTE: The cost of repairs has been estimated at $400,000.]
Details: Zink said she proposed the lower amount with a 50% borough match to increase Columbia’s chances of getting the money. However, grants from the state’s Local Share Account don’t have strict funding rules, Rinaldo said.
Quotables: “I wanted to put skin in the game and make our application a little stronger,” Zink explained. Said council member Peter Stahl: “If we don’t ask for it, we won’t get it. It doesn’t seem like a huge risk.”
Museum application: Council members also voted to apply for a $200,000 Local Share Account grant on behalf of the National Watch and Clock Museum to replace its HVAC system. Grant applications are due Nov. 30, and the borough won’t know if money will be awarded until October 2025, Rinaldo said.
What’s next: Council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday for its special budget meeting. The meeting, which will occur at 308 Locust St., also will be available on the borough’s YouTube channel the next day.
Go to: youtube.com/@columbiaborough9899 to access the meeting.
Columbia begins search for new L-L League varsity football coach | High School Football | lancasteronline.com
Shortly after John Brubaker tendered his resignation after 10 years at Penn Manor, Columbia’s Brady Mathias — the youngest coach in the league — stepped down from the Crimson Tide’s program.
Citing his desire to spend more time with his family — he has a toddler at home — while juggling teaching duties, Mathias walked away after three seasons on Columbia’s sideline.
Dealing with a small roster and trying to keep everyone healthy, the Tide had a difficult 0-10 season this fall, and Columbia went 5-25 under Mathias, a former football player for Hempfield during his prep days.
Mathias did not rule out a return to coaching; he said he’s stepping down for now.
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Columbia Spy 
