McGinness purchase looms large in council race

Candidates on both sides of the aisle consider the $1.5 million property purchase in 2021 a mistake that has contributed to a financial downturn.

[This post is excerpted from a longer LNP/LancasterOnline article.]

LANCASTERONLINE | Staff

Ten of Lancaster County’s 18 boroughs feature competitive council races this fall, and none is more contentious than the race in Columbia Borough, where the McGinness property on Manor Street looms large.

Candidates on both sides of the aisle consider the $1.5 million property purchase in 2021 a mistake that has contributed to a financial downturn. Borough officials have spent the last four years attempting to redevelop the former airport into an industrial park, taking out a $5 million loan to see the project through. Concerns about the condition of the property have delayed development, and thousands of dollars in anticipated property tax revenue have gone uncollected.

Democrats and Republicans alike say the final straw that pushed them into the council race was a 25% property tax hike this year. Now, Democrats Ethan Byers, Jeanne Cooper and Kyle Ricker are vying for one of three open four-year seats against Republicans Jesse Rabinowitz, Timothy Swartz and Thomas Ziegler.