Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Columbia School Board to consider 2.9% tax hike
The draft agenda for this Thursday's Columbia Borough School Board Committee of the Whole meeting includes the following item for consideration:
"The final budget includes a proposed tax increase in the total amount of .8508 mills or 2.90%, which is within Columbia Borough School District's approved index of 3.7%, and use of $800,000 ($250,000 is in Budgetary Reserve) of Fund Balance. The real estate tax rate for 2017-18 will be 30.1908 mills."
With the increase, the annual tax liability for an assessment of $100,000 will be $3,019.08. (The increase of .8508 mills translates to $85.08 a year for a $100,000 assessment.) At the current 29.34 mills, Columbia already has the highest school tax of any district in the county. The proposed increase will further cement that position.
With the increase, the TOTAL millage for Columbia Borough (county millage + municipal millage + school millage) will be 41.9258. The total annual tax liability for an assessment of $100,000 will be $4,192.58.
Current millage rates for Lancaster County are shown below.
With the increase, the TOTAL millage for Columbia Borough (county millage + municipal millage + school millage) will be 41.9258. The total annual tax liability for an assessment of $100,000 will be $4,192.58.
Current millage rates for Lancaster County are shown below.
Paint removed from vandalized Buddhist statues
The recently vandalized statues at the Chua Phap Hoa Buddhist Temple at South Second and Cherry have been cleaned of the black spray paint. Unfortunately, faint residue remains in some areas.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Where there's smoke, there's fire - Open burning incident
Columbia Spy noticed a large cloud of gray smoke billowing from the tree line near Laurel Hill Memorial Gardens at about 4 p.m. today. On closer investigation, it was noted that two piles of limbs and brush were burning on a property next to the cemetery. (See map below.) Although a person was present in the general vicinity of the fires, Columbia Borough has an ordinance against open burning. A member of the fire company tells the Spy that open burning is not permitted without special permission from the fire chief. For now, we'll assume permission was given in this case.
The blue rectangle shows the approximate location of the burning.
Columbia fisherman pulls 3-foot eel from the Susquehanna
River eel caught Saturday at Columbia River Park
(Submitted photo)
On Saturday, Angel Rodriguez of Columbia was fishing at River Park when he noticed several short jerks on his line. As he reeled it in, he saw something different at the end - not a carp or a catfish or a bass - but a river eel, also known as an American eel.
Rodriguez estimates the eel to be about three feet long. An avid fisherman, he said he has pulled eels from the river before, so this was not a complete surprise. According to Rodriguez, eels can be cooked in butter and eaten, but he plans to use this one as cut bait to catch other fish - and possibly another eel.
Angel Rodriguez of Columbia with the river eel he caught on Saturday.
(Submitted photo)
UPDATE: Buddhist Temple Desecration
On May 25, 2017, the Columbia Borough Police were notified of a criminal mischief at 202 Cherry Street. This location is the Buddhist Temple and someone had spray painted the two (2) statues that they have located along the 2nd Street side of their temple. The word "Idol" appeared to be spray painted on them. A neighbor believes that it occurred sometime overnight Wednesday into Thursday. If anyone has any information about this they are asked to contact the police department at 717-684-7735 or submit a tip below.
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