Columbia City Council to consider property tax hike

A resolution on Monday night’s city council agenda recommends raising the city’s property tax by about 2 cents.

The resolution is under new business, which means it will likely not get any discussion from the council at the meeting.

The proposal is to increase the tax rate from 41 cents per $100 to about 43 cents per $100.

City staff cited the Hancock Amendment in its justification for the hike.

“Any potential increase in the tax rate ceiling allowed under Hancock has been voluntarily reduced since 2002,” staff wrote in a memo to the council. “City staff is requesting council action on the policy resolution to reverse all voluntary reductions taken in prior even number years and to start the 2018 property tax calculations at a rate of $0.4329.”

Staff anticipates the increase would generate about $470,000 a year and would be used to fund a new fire station on the east or south part of town.

The city council could vote on the increase as soon as next month.