Property owners in the Columbia Borough School District will face a 3.06 percent tax increase under a new $22.3 million school budget approved on June 19.
The budget, passed unanimously, will raise Columbia's tax rate to 28.2 mills — one of the highest rates in the county.
The 0.838-of-a-mill increase will mean an additional $67.46 in taxes per year for a property assessed at $80,500 — the median homestead value in Columbia.
Even with this increase they are still pulling from reserves. They have 1 maybe 2 more years of doing this left
ReplyDeleteColumbia has to concede they are no longer able to have their own School District
The expenses (salary, pensions, healthcare) have far outpaced the income of this small town.The number of taxpayers has stayed the same & can't grow like its neighboring districts can.
This all adds up to a system with no future,& the leaders of this town need to convey that to the state. There only recourse is to regionalze with another district.
The income of the boros residents have dropped due to plant closings or downsizing of companies like ( Armstrong, Catterpillar,& Harley) to name a few.
Right. This system cannot be sustained. The time has come for consolidation.
DeleteMy reaction to this article is "What, again?"
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget the power to tax is the power to destroy, and they are killing us.
Yes they are killing us Cole, AND RAPING the taxpayers!!! A strong, severe and maybe offensive word, but isn't what they are doing to us just as offensive?
Deletehey, our taxes are still cheaper then areas of New Jersey and New York, and it's the only river front prime property in Lancaster County, so get used to it
ReplyDeleteThat's a good comparison New York, & New Jersey
ReplyDeleteIf this is what our leaders are looking to compare to, we've really set our goals low.
They are rated highest in taxes in the nation every year. The common workers in those areas have to commute hours each day because they can't afford to live there. They are continually losing businesses to lower cost areas.
Great example
Apparently that riverfront property isn't prime. The residents in the cottages only gave Cola. $15, 000 to buy there properties.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter how many
ReplyDeleteIts the cost per lot
Those lots aren't small either
or 30% of market rate valuation.
ReplyDeleteThey gave $15,000 per cottage . . . One of the cottages was listed recently for $389,900 (.44 acre lot).
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the assessed value is and what property taxes (if any) they are paying.
It was a sad day when Columbia Borough sold the riverfront land that the lots are on for a song. Priceless Land. The river frontage of the entire community. What a shame. Could have easily given current lot owners life time leases and kept ownership. Why do the same people that voted to sell off the lot land care about selling off the Sewer Plant ?
ReplyDeleteThey pay no taxes at all for 50 years! Not to many people know that!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how they could escape paying property taxes.
ReplyDeletefirst get your facts straight. they have paid taxes ALL these years. AND the upkeep. you have NO clue about which you speak!
ReplyDeleteagain...rumers. IF you attended all the mtgs over the past 7 or 8 years you may know the answers. you DON"T. stop the lying. and YES they have paid taxes for at least the last 30 years. you people are absolutely ridiculous. if you DON"T have a clue....don't make sh-- up!
ReplyDeleteoh but it was ok for the water co to take the first whole parcel eminent domain??? what... like the water co isn't making enough money off us already? and then they had the ba--- to ask for a 23% increase JUST for COLUMBIA???? WAKE THE HELL UP PEOPLE. KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT!