Columbia Forward Together candidates focus on taxes and fiscal responsibility

Candidates, left to right, are Ethan Byers, Brad Chambers, Jasmine Preston, Jeanne Cooper, and Kyle Ricker. Byers, Cooper, and Ricker are candidates for borough council, Preston is running for mayor, and Chambers is campaigning for a seat in the PA State House of Representatives in the 2026 election. 

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Candidates share vision for addressing residents' top concerns.

Four candidates running under the Columbia Forward Together banner recently met with Columbia Spy to discuss their platform and priorities for the borough. The slate includes mayoral candidate Jasmine Preston and council candidates Jeanne Cooper, Ethan Byers, and Kyle Ricker.

The candidates emphasized their grassroots approach to campaigning, having spent considerable time canvassing neighborhoods and speaking directly with residents throughout the community.

●High Taxes Top Resident Concerns
When asked about the most pressing issues facing Columbia residents, all four candidates were in agreement: high taxes are the primary concern voiced by constituents across party lines.

Byers: "It's unaffordable to live in general, and then that tax increase from last year made it more difficult."

"Life not being affordable — that's consistent across Democrats, Republicans, Independents," said Ethan Byers. "It's unaffordable to live in general, and then that tax increase from last year made it more difficult."

Jeanne Cooper added, “Taxes have been raised here so many times, and they’re so high already.” Cooper wants to see comparison shopping for certain services. 

Cooper: “Taxes have been raised here so many times, and they’re so high already.”

The candidates expressed particular concern for vulnerable populations affected by tax increases. Byers noted that renters and those on fixed incomes are often overlooked in budget discussions. "The people who get left out of the conversation are the renters," he said. "Also people who are on a fixed income. A lot of people are on social security or disability. A tax increase like this every year will bankrupt people."

●Scrutinizing Borough Spending
The Columbia Forward Together candidates identified several areas where they believe the borough could reduce costs.

Preston: "They continue to spend, and now the borough is in the real estate business. And they put the burden on the people."

Preston, the mayoral candidate, criticized the borough's involvement in real estate ventures. "They continue to spend, and now the borough is in the real estate business," she said. "And they put the burden on the people."

Ricker: "McGinness is like the poster child for living beyond our means."

Ricker drew attention to the McGinness project as an example of fiscal overreach. "McGinness is like the poster child for living beyond our means," he said, arguing that those funds could have been better allocated to meet residents' basic needs. "We need to make sure we're functioning well as a borough. Growth can come later."

●Calls for Transparency and Community Engagement
A central theme of the candidates' platform is increasing transparency in borough operations. "A big part of our campaign is transparency in the way that we're spending money and in the conversations we're having," Byers explained. "We just want people to know as much as possible."

Preston emphasized that residents feel disconnected from local government. "People are not being heard," she said, advocating for more inclusive decision-making.

●Public Safety and Community Relations
On policing matters, Preston clarified her stance on law enforcement funding. "I would never defund the police department," she said, while emphasizing the importance of community-police relationships. She wants to see members of the department build relationships with the community. 

Byers stressed the need for greater transparency regarding police department operations, noting that "people don't know what's happening around town."

●Addressing Homelessness with Compassion
The candidates also addressed the borough's homeless population, with Preston advocating for compassionate representation. "They're still people. They still have thoughts and feelings," she said. "They're still in our borough. They still need representation."

●Moving Forward Together
Ricker emphasized the need for unified leadership, stating that "on a local level we should all be moving in the same direction." He acknowledged that returning to fiscal responsibility after years of increased spending would be challenging. "If you're living outside your means, that's your new comfort zone," he said. "Bringing that back to normalcy is hard."