What if Columbia Were a City?
Council Corner
At the July meeting of the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directors, members discussed whether an updated ethics policy could prohibit board members from endorsing candidates in other village elections. While it might seem that this would violate a board member’s First Amendment rights, the general counsel noted that “CA is a corporation. It’s a corporate board, it’s not a government, it’s not a city council. The standards are much different.”
However, this got me thinking: What if the CA board were a city council? What if Columbia were an incorporated city? With a population of around 100,000 residents, Columbia would become Maryland’s second-largest incorporated city, behind only Baltimore City. More importantly, there would be significant changes in how Columbia is governed. The most obvious change for residents would be that CA’s annual charge would become a property tax, which would be tax-deductible—potentially saving residents hundreds of dollars each year. In addition, as an incorporated city, Columbia could set city ordinances, including zoning regulations, and provide municipal services such as police, fire, public works and trash collection.
The question then becomes: Would residents pay even more if Columbia were to incorporate? I do not see that this would necessarily be the case. Columbia residents currently pay an annual charge equivalent to 34 cents per $100 of assessed property value. In comparison, Rockville’s property tax is 29.2 cents, and Gaithersburg’s is 26.2 cents. Part of the reason these cities can keep property taxes low is that Montgomery County shares its tax revenue with them, so city residents are not paying twice for the same services provided by both the county and the city. In contrast, Columbia residents currently pay for Columbia’s parks and recreation through the annual charge, as well as for the county’s Recreation and Parks Department through the county’s property tax.
Therefore, at the July board meeting, I proposed that CA retain the goal the board set last year to “analyze opportunities to add value and/or reduce costs associated with using CA facilities, programs and services, as well as the annual charge.” Unfortunately, my proposal was defeated. However, I remain committed to working to make CA more affordable for everyone.
I also encourage everyone to attend CA’s Town Hall on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane, Columbia. The board will be listening to community feedback about CA’s budget and finances.
Eric Greenberg is the River Hill Representative to Columbia Council and the CA Board of Directors.
Email: Eric.Greenberg@ca-board.org.
Disclaimer: This column reflects the views of Eric Greenberg only and not those of the CA Board or the River Hill Board of Directors.
