Mayor Lutz must accept responsibility

 

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't the record of effective stewardship. It's a pattern of decline masked by rhetoric about prosperity.

There's an inconvenient truth that property owners understand all too well: every time taxes rise, property values fall. That's not prosperity; that's a slow erosion of our community's economic foundation.

Columbia needs vigorous, forward-thinking leadership. Instead, we have a mayor whose age and lengthy tenure raise legitimate questions about his ability to efficiently fulfill the demanding role ahead. 

He's one of the last of the good old boys that unfortunately ran this town. If voters return him to office, we can expect more of the same: continued decline, mounting debt, and broken promises.

The choice before Columbia's voters is clear: we can either maintain the status quo and watch our borough continue to deteriorate, or we can demand accountability and choose a new direction. 

Mayor Lutz has had 20 years to prove himself. The results speak for themselves.