Columbia Borough residents, brace yourselves: the sequel to last year’s tax hike might be coming soon, and it’s shaping up to be a trilogy.
In 2024, borough council raised property taxes by 2 mills for the 2025 budget, bringing the total to a spicy 10 mills. That’s a 25% increase—basically the fiscal equivalent of ordering guac and queso at Chipotle. Now, less than a year later, officials are hinting at another round of millage madness.
Council Vice President Eric Kauffman summed it up with the kind of existential dread usually reserved for finals week: “It’s going to be 2 mills this year, 2 mills next year. I just don’t know what else to do.” Same, Eric. Same.
Mayor Leo Lutz, meanwhile, suggested a multi-year tax plan that sounds suspiciously like a workout routine: “It might be 2, 2, 2, 2. I don’t know. It might be 2, 1, 1, 1, 1.” Translation: we’re doing fiscal burpees until morale improves.
The borough could dip into its reserves, but that would bring the emergency fund down to “we-have-three-beans-and-a-paperclip” levels. Traditionally, council likes to keep reserves at 15% of the budget—about $1.1 to $1.2 million—just in case someone accidentally orders a golden manhole cover.
And here’s the kicker: the draft 2026 budget shows general fund spending jumping to $9.15 million, up from $8.31 million in 2025. That’s an $839,454 increase. But don’t worry—each mill brings in about $438,000, so a 2-mill hike would cover it. Like a warm blanket made of your money.
Council hasn’t voted yet, and not all the numbers are in. But if you hear the sound of calculators weeping in the distance, you’ll know budget season has begun.
