Columbia council takes interim actions, opens budget workshop amid debate over reserves, fire truck and Market House strategy

Columbia Borough Council met Oct. 16 for a budget workshop and took several interim actions that could affect the borough’s finances while staff and council continued work on the 2026 draft budget.

Council voted to authorize routine bill payments and unanimously approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for work at 22 North Third Street with conditions that the exterior door be glass, two currently covered windows be reopened, and the wall left of the door be converted to glass. Council also waived the Market House rental fee of $375 for the Columbia High School volleyball boosters and tabled three agenda items to the November workshop.

The vote actions came before a detailed presentation on the draft 2026 general fund, which staff described as showing flat revenue but meaningful expenditure increases. Borough staff told the council the 2025 general fund revenues were tracking at roughly the low- to mid‑80 percent range through September and that the proposed 2026 budget would show expenditures about 10.1% higher than 2025, driven by negotiated wage increases, higher health‑care costs and pension obligations.

Why it matters: Council members repeatedly flagged the borough’s reserves and said the draft would draw down retained funds. Council members and staff described a plan that would use roughly $1.11 million from reserves in 2026 unless the budget is revised; several members warned that reserves could fall below the policy target if larger structural changes are not made.

Key budget details and proposals

- Wages and benefits: Staff proposed a contractual 4% wage increase for uniformed officers and 3% for nonuniform employees, and forecasted a roughly 20% increase in health‑insurance costs for full‑time staff.

- New and changed positions: The draft includes adding a full‑time code compliance position and a vehicle for the codes department, plus a proposed part‑time employee for Market House operations. Council discussed moving part‑time hours into a single full‑time code officer to improve enforcement coverage.

- Savings offsets: Staff identified projected decreases in workers’ compensation (about 27% overall) and firefighter workers’ comp (about 20%), along with modest savings in market‑house operating spending and fleet leasing.

- Market House strategy: Council and staff discussed raising venue rates, tightening setup/cleanup time, and adding a part‑time events assistant to help manage weddings and large events. Staff said current event pricing includes setup and teardown time and that the borough has begun charging for lead‑in times that previously were free.

- Fire company and ladder truck: Council held a substantive exchange about the Columbia Fire Company’s request related to a new ladder truck. Financial staff and council members outlined two options: continue the current levy that supports fire apparatus costs or use capital funds to buy a truck outright. Several council members urged a fuller financial plan showing long‑term capital needs, resale estimates for current apparatus, and annual maintenance costs before committing general fund resources.

- Larger capital context: Staff noted pending capital projects (for example, a planned Public Works building and street projects) tied to grants and property sale proceeds. Council members discussed whether to reallocate capital receipts to buy equipment outright or preserve the capital fund for investments that generate future returns.

Other fiscal topics discussed

- Split‑rate property tax: One council member reported modeling a split‑rate system (separate land and structure mills) and said a revenue‑neutral split requires careful fine‑tuning; about half of sampled properties would have seen taxes rise under his example.

- Vacant property registration: Council discussed exploring a registration/fee for vacant properties, with caution that fees must not exceed the cost of administration under state law.

- Wastewater treatment plant sale: Staff reminded council the budget counts lease revenue and expenses for the wastewater treatment plant for now, but those items would fall away when the sale completes.

Personnel and other operational notes

- Police: Staff announced Detective Jesse Zimmerman will retire in January 2026; corporal Andrew Snyder will be promoted to sergeant effective Oct. 27. Council and staff said they are short‑staffed and therefore expect police overtime to remain elevated until vacancies are filled.

- Finance/administration: Staff said the borough’s 2025 operating budget is tracking favorably but cautioned the 2026 plan will require either drawing reserves or additional revenues.

Votes at a glance (items taken before or during the workshop)

- Approve agenda as published — motion by Councilperson Kaufman, second by Councilperson Giese; outcome: approved. - Authorize bill payments — motion by Councilperson Kaufman, second by Councilperson Murphy; outcome: approved. - Certificate of Appropriateness, 22 N. Third St. — motion by Councilperson Stahl, second by Councilperson Kaufman; outcome: approved with conditions (glass exterior door; reopen two windows; glass wall in setback area). - Waive Market House rental fee ($375) for Columbia High School volleyball boosters — motion by Councilperson Kaufman, second by Councilperson Fisher; outcome: approved. - Table items 9(b), 9(c) and 9(d) to November workshop — motion by Councilperson Giese, second by Councilperson Kaufman; outcome: approved.

What’s next: Council directed staff to continue refining the draft and to return to a November workshop with updated reserve projections and more detailed financing options for large capital items. Council set a regular meeting for Oct. 28 and agreed to resume budget work at its next workshop.

Ending: Council members and staff emphasized that multiple options remain on the table — including modest fee changes, program cuts, or capital shifts — and said the budget would be revised and returned to the public before final adoption.