COLUMBIA SPY

2005 Freightliner dump truck (example) JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  Columbia Borough Council voted 4-2 Tuesday night to approve a $14,139 transmission replacement for a borough-owned dump truck. Council members Jeanne Cooper and  Ethan Byers were the two no votes. Councilwoman Joanne Geesey was absent.  A rebuilt transmission transmission will be installed within "a week or so" and will include a warranty, according to Highway Department Manager Jake Graham. The borough purchased the truck, a 2005 Freightliner, 16 years ago for $75,000. A new truck would cost about $250,000. The borough received one bid for the repair from Good Transport Services, where the truck was towed. "The recent snowstorm took its toll on three pieces of equipment," Highway Department Manager Jake Graham told council at a previous meeting. The transmission failure has left two of the borough's three dump trucks out of service, one of which needed repairs for an electrical issue. 

MORGAN HUBER | FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE When: Columbia Borough school board meeting, Feb. 3. What happened: The school district received a $179,599 state Ready to Learn tax equity grant for 2026-27, Keith Ramsey, business manager, said. Background: This is the second year the district received the grant in this amount. For the 2025-26 year, the money was committed to a 3% tax reduction. New grant: Kathleen Hohenadel, finance committee chair, presented five potential uses for this funding, including reducing debt, mitigating or replacing the loss of revenue, supplementing senior tax rebates, supplementing the amount for homestead and farmstead exclusion, or mitigating or preventing a millage increase. What's next: The board will vote at the Feb. 19 meeting what it will use the grant for. MORE: https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-borough-school-district-receives-tax-equity-grant-will-vote-on-use-at-upcoming-meeting/article_b22fc200-dfd7-46cf-9da3-aba622f42374.html   ...

Following are summaries of the Pennsylvania Auditor General's reports on two Columbia Borough pension plans. A link to the original document is provided at the end of each summary. Summary: Compliance Audit Report for the Columbia Borough Police Pension Plan This is a compliance audit report for the Columbia Borough Police Pension Plan in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, conducted by the Pennsylvania Auditor General in January 2026. Key Points:   The audit examined whether the pension plan was administered in compliance with state laws and regulations for the period January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024. The audit found that the plan was mostly compliant, but identified two significant findings: Finding No. 1: The borough failed to correct a prior issue where an ordinance was improperly amended by resolution rather than by a new ordinance. Finding No. 2: The borough is paying excess pension benefits to a retiree that aren't authorized by the plan's governing document. Speci...

Matthew Albert Rowley https://crimewatch.net/us/pa/lancaster/da/11617/post/city-man-charged-attempted-criminal-homicide-stemming-columbia-borough-fight-waives  

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY  Despite a 2024 tax hike that took the tax rate to 10 mills, Columbia Borough finds itself in a growing fiscal crisis as officials are seeking a $2 million bridge loan to cover expenses during early 2026. At Tuesday night's meeting, council voted unanimously to begin the process of applying for the loan. The borough's financial troubles became apparent last year when it fell short of meeting its expenses by more than $1 million at year's end. In spite of the shortfall, borough council decided not to raise taxes, instead balancing the budget by drawing from reserves. That decision left the reserve fund at about $300,000, a level officials acknowledged is "uncomfortably low."  The borough is seeking $2 million to pay for operations until tax payments arrive in April 2026. Of course, the loan would need to be paid back—with interest.  Borough officials are exploring several revenue-generating options that could potentially reduce or elimina...

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that a bridge inspection is scheduled for next week on the Route 30 (Wrights Ferry) Bridge spanning the Susquehanna River between Hellam Township in York County and Columbia Borough in Lancaster County. Weather permitting, the inspection will be performed from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Wednesday, February 18 through Friday, February 20. There will be lane restrictions on the bridge during work hours. Traffic will be restricted in one direction at a time. Work will begin in the westbound direction (Lancaster County to York County) and then move to the eastbound (York County to Lancaster County) direction. The right lane and shoulder will be closed during the inspection. Travelers are reminded to be alert for these operations, to obey work zone signs, and to use caution when driving through work zones for their safety, as well as for the safety of the inspection crews. Drivers can check conditions on major roadways by visit...