Columbia residents overwhelmingly pass sewer bond issue

Voters in Columbia overwhelmingly decided to pass a multimillion dollar sewer bond issue.

Proposition 1, a $33 million bond issue, passed with nearly 80 percent of the vote.

The money will be used over the next five years to fix broken pipes, replace outdated lines and dig new manholes.

The money will not be coming from taxpayers’ pockets, but instead user fees. Essentially, anyone paying a utility bill will be affected because the sanitary sewer system is for toilets, laundry and dishwashers.

Therefore, utility customers’ bills will increase by $3 a month and be spread out over the next five years.

The bond only needed a simple majority to pass. In fact, the issue was the only item on the ballot, meaning this decision could be determined by a low voter turnout.

Overall, there were only about 5,700 votes cast at the ballots in Columbia.