Your Voice Matters: Together, We Make a Difference

I want to thank everyone in River Hill who voted in the recent Columbia Association elections. I especially want to thank Renée DuBois, our Village Manager, the River Hill staff and the election committee for all their hard work in organizing this year’s election. We had an incredible turnout this year with 230 ballots cast allowing us to easily reach quorum. It is always great to see high voter turnouts in River Hill, not just to ensure that we reach a quorum, but also to see more people engaged in our community. When residents vote in CA elections, they signal that Columbia continues to be relevant to them. Voting in elections gives people a voice in how our community is run.

I look forward to continuing to serve on the Columbia Association Board of Directors as your Columbia Council Representative. One of my main priorities for the next year is to work with the CA President and the rest of the Board to look for ways to reduce resident costs. This includes both the annual charge paid by everyone living on CA assessed property, as well as resident fees to use CA amenities. In FY 2026, CA is planning to perform both an economic impact study and a membership study, which I hope will provide a roadmap for making CA more affordable.

In addition, we always want to hear from you to learn about what matters most to the community. One of the best ways to reach out and affect change is to come to Resident Speakout at the meetings of the village board or the CA Board. During recent Resident Speakout sessions, the CA Board heard testimony from numerous residents regarding proposed options to change how the village buildings are managed. As a result of listening to your testimony, the Board has taken a more deliberate approach and has thus far refrained from making any significant changes to the management of the villages. This is just one example. In prior years, residents testifying at board meetings have had real impacts on many other issues, including open space and play areas.

The key is to be involved and to make your voice heard. A strong community depends on residents being actively engaged to ensure that all needs are addressed. As always, please feel free to reach out regarding any CA-related issues you may have. We want to hear from you—because your voice matters!

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.