GUEST COMMENTARY [Name withheld by request out of fear of retaliation] For two decades, Leo Lutz has occupied the mayor's office in Columbia, and his supporters are quick to credit him with every positive development in our borough, but leadership is a two-way street. If Mayor Lutz is going to accept praise for Columbia's successes, many of which, frankly, he had little direct involvement in, then he must also be held accountable for our failures. The facts paint a troubling picture. Despite the mayor's repeated assurances that our streets are safe, we've witnessed a disturbing rise in assaults, shootings, and vandalism. His promises have fallen by the wayside: the foot patrol we were promised never materialized, nor did the bike patrol that was supposed to increase our sense of security. Fiscally, the situation is equally dire. Taxes have increased at least twice during Mayor Lutz's tenure, yet the borough now finds itself millions of dollars in debt. This isn...
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Everyone wants new mayor/council. Yet you never see new names on the ballot. Bitching is easy.
Any elected official must be willing to answer questions from the taxpaying public. If that makes them uncomfortable, then their name never should have appeared on the ballot to start with. If a question makes an elected official become defensive or hot-headed then that person is hiding something. No elected official has the right to belittle any taxpayer, yet I have seen this done repeatedly. If the taxpayers are not asking questions, then they aren't paying attention or else they have no sense of civic duty. Civic duty includes paying taxes. Columbia Borough and Columbia School District (combined) collect over $500.00 a month from me in taxes. If I were paying $500.00 a month for anything else you can believe that I would expect to know and be in agreement with where that money is being spent. Just because a handful of residents AKA: council, decide on a project, doesn't necessarily make it the right decision and I do not have to like it or agree with it. $500.00=The right to "bitch."