LNP Editorial: $8-9 million River Park Project

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"A caveat, and it’s a significant one: Borough officials are going to need to do everything they can to minimize the impact on taxpayers.

As LNP reported Friday, more than 200 residents and business owners packed a Columbia Borough Council meeting to express their dismay over the borough’s recently enacted 21.2 percent tax increase.

The tax rate was hiked from 6.6 mills to 8.0 mills, which would cost the owner of a $137,500 home an additional $192.

That’s a whopper of a tax increase. So we’re guessing Columbia residents aren’t going to be in the mood for new borough spending. Borough officials will need to make a strong case for the benefits of the riverfront project, and explain how it’s going to be funded."

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/tapping-columbia-s-riverfront-potential-editorial/article_881e276e-15be-11e9-bbfc-c70aa3695bb1.html

Comments

Anonymous said…
How about a community center where citizens can use, NO MORE MONEY PIT!
January 13, 2019 at 10:59 AM
Anonymous said…
Leo said people want things to do , so a community center is the right thing for the citizens , how many tax payers use the money pit , maybe 2% of them , that's not enough to put 9 million on top of the 10 million we dumped in to the pit that keeps taking. Who gets the money S/H gets for things they charge for? We pay them 115,000 a year for WHAT??? HOW MANY HOURS ARE SPENT BY BORO WORKERS THERE???? THIS KEEPS TAKING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH , 98% Out siders and what money do they pay?
January 13, 2019 at 11:05 AM
Anonymous said…
agree. SH receives way too much money to just manage. they should be doing the maintenance also. ALL that's needed is some benches and port a pots. at the VERY most a walking trail ACROSS the river but it MUST be higher than Agnes in 1971.
January 13, 2019 at 12:44 PM
Anonymous said…
Make a return on the River Park charge people to use the trail. All the money goes there and look at the sore eyed buildings on our main street Locust. It was gonna be volunteer help to and now look how much is paid to the person who runs it. My tax dollars at work. If I can't pay my taxes can I get a loan from the boro?
January 13, 2019 at 1:10 PM
Anonymous said…
i agree the people running that place should be paying for all the maintenance . what do they do for that amount of money i think the boro pays for all the bills water,electric,sewer plus i see the highway guys helping to take in and out exhibits if they want to have these kind of thing like that wooded canoe then you would think the exhibit folks would have their own help so i dont know what we the tax payers are getting out of this for the money we pay
January 13, 2019 at 3:38 PM
Anonymous said…
THE BOROUGH COUNCIL HAS TO STOP THIS MADNESS , have the borough workers do there jobs on the streets , maybe the town would not look the way it does. You can get the scouts to clean up around there for a donation , not the union employees, a experienced manager would know how to handle this kind of things. The board has spent enough tax payers money on the (maintence free building ) that keeps taking money and workers time OFF the streets. They just up graded the cameras again there fore another 5 grand of our money , What next 8 or 9 million to expand it , wheres the common sense here? This dream of a couple is big enough , now maybe tax payers can get something all people ( from town) can use instead of 2% of them.
January 14, 2019 at 8:16 AM
Anonymous said…
What makes you think only 2% of residents use the park? Do you use it? Why not? Why can't all people from town use it? Its packed every time i'm down. Future plans will expand usage opportunities. Did you know that the borough barely spent any actual Columbia tax dollars on this park? Did you know that the borough receives reimbursements for the SH contract? This project, from day one, has been a model for public input with the steering committee, surveys, public meetings, and so on. Did you participate? What LNP is saying here is spot on: This park is a crown jewel for our entire region and as such, our entire region should be helping. The state see this, PA has invest millions in the project already and i'm sure they will continue.
January 14, 2019 at 1:29 PM
Anonymous said…
$20,000 SLAB , THOUSANDS TO SEAL CONCRETE, $10,000 CAMERAS, $4000 PA SYSTEM , $32,000 FENCE ,PAVING HERITAGE DR, TREES ,JUST RECENT ,WE DON'T WANT TO GO ON DO WE , TAX PAYER FUNDED BONDS , TAX PAYER MONIES, AND BOROUGH WAGES . IT JUST KEEPS TAKING AND FOR THE PEOPLE THERE OUTSIDERS , YUP 98% of them a survey can say any
January 14, 2019 at 3:07 PM
Anonymous said…
What are all costs to operate ? YEARLY and daily ? It seams you know more than council ever left any one know before.
January 14, 2019 at 3:44 PM
Anonymous said…
What income????????
January 14, 2019 at 3:53 PM
Anonymous said…
Here we go transparent boro 0% but I am shore the boro matched grants .
January 14, 2019 at 3:54 PM
Anonymous said…
No I would not deprive the rest of the towns needs.
January 14, 2019 at 3:55 PM
Anonymous said…
Crown jewel for outsiders , no pay!!!!
January 14, 2019 at 3:57 PM
Anonymous said…
ok, I think you are confusing issues here, but regardless, you mentioned something in the neighborhood of $100k (if memory serves me correctly, I think from reports its less than that, but whatever). Again, if I recall correctly, we have about a $2.5 million facility. That's 4% the borough paid for the facility. That's like 9 cents for a gallon of gas. I'll take it! Its obvious that you don't support the project. Others do.
January 14, 2019 at 3:59 PM
One of the ones who want to know said…
Here again, Insider Anonymous, where is this information available for all to see? It is easier to make glib comments when you see all the cards.
January 14, 2019 at 5:26 PM
Anonymous said…
It is interesting about the survey. I took it and pay taxes. There are alot taking that neither own and hence don't pay taxes that look at it as another freebie on someone else hard earned money. Guess what they are the ones that spray paint the bridge piers and walls along the trail and throw trash around. There is the continueing mindset of entitlement for nothing contributed. Why would we want to keep finance this through higher taxes.
January 14, 2019 at 7:21 PM
Anonymous said…
So how will this great river park expansion bring tax dollars to Columbia? You know revenue. So far all the great things current council done brought very little if any revenue to Columbia. Yes the people love to park at the river park or beside the State owned 462 bridge where the borough paved, but they aren't spending money in Columbia. They come for the walking trail. Big deal! They also go to Marietta and Conoy Parks. All tax payers did there was pay to provide parking for folks that aren't spending money in Columbia. The Trolley, remember a borough official said WE are getting a Hell of deal! Yeah that worked great for the tax payers. How about the Market House? All the fighting that took place there it should have been on Comcast pay per view at least the Borough could have said they showed an income. Hell I believe the vendors were ran out once the fighting started. How about that Bigler Property, now there was a great investment too. I also see the parking lots that were constructed are overflowing. Commerce Street, Locust Street, Third Street. So much public parking for all the Great things Council and its affiliates have brought to town. It seems to me there is more leaving town then coming to town.
January 14, 2019 at 7:54 PM
Anonymous said…
Rebbeca what are the cost with the money pit???? AS manager you should know these things.
January 18, 2019 at 7:00 AM
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