This is an opinion piece by The Columbia Chronicle.
On Nov. 3, Lancaster County voters will be asked to create a new, permanent property tax for public libraries. We value our libraries, including the Columbia Public Library on South Sixth Street. But for Columbia homeowners, this is the wrong tax at the wrong time. We urge a no vote.
The ballot question asks for a dedicated library tax of 0.55 mills on all taxable real estate in the county. That works out to $55 a year for every $100,000 of assessed value, or $110 on a $200,000 home. Once approved, it does not expire.
Columbia has already been asked to pay more. Borough Council raised the municipal rate from 8 mills to 10 mills for 2025, a 25% increase. That added $200 a year for every $100,000 of assessed value. At the time, council members warned residents to expect more increases.
The 2026 rate held at 10 mills, but borough spending rose by more than $840,000. Columbia’s combined county, borough and school millage for 2026 was 38.86 mills, among the highest in the county.
Our school district has cut its rate two years in a row, which is welcome. But it is also running deficits and covering the gap from its savings. That cannot last forever.
The reassessment adds uncertainty. The county’s 2027 property reassessment is supposed to be revenue neutral overall. Individual bills, though, can still go up, and taxing bodies may raise rates after the rollback. No one in Columbia knows yet what their 2027 bill will be. This is not the year to stack a new tax on top.
Key details are still unsettled. Organizers have not said how the money would be divided among the county’s libraries. That will be decided only if the tax passes. Columbia voters are being asked to approve the tax first and learn their library’s share later.
Organizers also say they expect municipalities and the county to stop their annual library donations if the tax passes. Nothing in the ballot question requires those governments to lower their own taxes by the same amount. Residents could pay the new tax without seeing any relief elsewhere.
This is not a partisan worry. The county Republican committee opposes the tax. So does state Rep. Tom Jones. Democratic state Sen. Malone has also said he will vote no, saying he supports libraries but the timing is wrong for another tax. County voters rejected a smaller 0.25-mill library tax in 2005.
Our libraries deserve support, and there are better ways to provide it: targeted municipal funding, donations, and a fairer state funding formula. A permanent new property tax, approved before anyone knows their next bill or their library’s share, is not the answer for Columbia. Vote no on Nov. 3.
By the numbers
Columbia property owners paid 38.86 mills in combined property taxes in 2026; the library tax would add 0.55 mills at current assessments.
| Tax | Rate (mills) | Per $100,000 assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County (2026) | 3.201 | $320 |
| Columbia Borough (2026) | 10.00 | $1,000 |
| Columbia Borough School District (2025–26) | 25.66 | $2,566 |
| Combined, 2026 | 38.861 | $3,886 |
| Proposed library tax | 0.55 | $55 |
The school rate dropped to 25.26 mills for 2026–27. The library rate could be adjusted downward after the 2027 reassessment.
What supporters say
The Vote Yes 4 Libraries campaign makes a serious case, and readers should weigh it.
- Stable funding. Most county libraries are nonprofits. In 2023 they had to raise 25% to 68% of their revenue through fundraising and other income. A dedicated tax would replace year-to-year uncertainty.
- Restored services. Supporters say the money would pay for longer hours, better staff pay and benefits, more programs, digital resources and more books.
- Modest cost. At $55 per $100,000 of assessed value, the tax is small next to Columbia’s other property taxes.
- Neighbors already do it. Cumberland, Dauphin and York counties have dedicated library funding.
- Less politics. A dedicated tax takes library funding decisions out of annual municipal budget fights.
Supporters may also note that libraries matter most in towns like Columbia, where some households rely on them for internet access, job searches and children’s programs.