Response Editorial to ColumbiaSpy.com: Accountability or Just Another Excuse to Sue?

Response Editorial: Accountability or Just Another Excuse to Sue? It’s interesting to watch how quickly some voices in town leap not toward solutions, but toward lawsuits. The latest editorial about the Chris Vera situation reads less like a call for transparency and more like a familiar pattern: stir outrage, demand legal action, and ultimately drain…

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Editorial: Columbia Borough’s Finance Turmoil Demands Real Accountability—and a Clear Plan to Fix It

Editorial: Columbia Borough’s Finance Turmoil Demands Real Accountability—and a Clear Plan to Fix It Columbia Borough’s finance office has become synonymous with churn. Since late 2020, the borough has lost accountants and finance managers in rapid succession, with the most recent resignation announced at the December 2025 council meeting. Each departure arrives with scant public…

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Columbia Police Chief Jack Broomer to Retire in May; Holly Arndt Poised to Make History

Columbia Police Chief Jack Broomer to Retire in May; Holly Arndt Poised to Make History COLUMBIA, PA — Police Chief Jack Broomer, who also serves as interim Borough Manager, will retire from the department in May before transitioning into the full‑time Borough Manager role. His departure sets the stage for a historic moment in Columbia…

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A Republican View: Shared Responsibility for Columbia’s Budget Woes

A Republican View: Shared Responsibility for Columbia’s Budget Woes Columbia Borough faces a projected $1.1 million shortfall heading into 2026. Joe Lintner’s recent article frames this as a Republican-driven spending problem, but the facts tell a broader story: both Republicans and Democrats have overseen years of fiscal mismanagement that brought us here. Overspending Is Bipartisan…

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Columbia Borough Faces Budget Crossroads: Reserves or Responsible Tax Policy?

Columbia Borough Faces Budget Crossroads: Reserves or Responsible Tax Policy? By Jesse Sweigart | ColumbiaPA.online Columbia Borough Council is weighing difficult choices as it prepares the 2026 budget. Contrary to recent reporting, the borough’s reserve fund stands at approximately $1.6 million, not $1.1 million. While some members have suggested draining those reserves to avoid a…

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Saving Columbia’s Forgotten Dungeons: Rick Fisher’s Mission to Preserve History

Saving Columbia’s Forgotten Dungeons: Rick Fisher’s Mission to Preserve History Beneath the bustling streets of Columbia, Pennsylvania, lies a hidden piece of American history—a series of six crumbling, windowless cells known locally as the Market House Dungeons. Built in 1836, these subterranean chambers were originally intended as storage for market vendors but were later converted…

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The Government’s Back, Baby—and Columbia’s Got Questions, Coffee, and School Cash

The Government’s Back, Baby—and Columbia’s Got Questions, Coffee, and School Cash After 43 days of bureaucratic limbo, the federal government has finally reopened, and Columbia Borough is breathing a cautious sigh of relief—while still clutching its coffee and muttering, “Well, that was a ride.” President Trump signed the funding bill late Wednesday night, ending the…

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