Columbia City Council votes down property tax increase

UPDATE, 9:30 P.M.: The city council voted down the potential property tax increase in a 5 to 2 vote.

ORIGINAL: The Columbia City Council will discuss a potential property tax increase at its Monday night meeting.

City staff introduced the idea at the July 16 council meeting. If approved, the city’s finance department would be allowed to recalculate the property tax from 41 cents per $100 of assessed value to a maximum of 43 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The city council voted 6-1 last month to move forward with the public hearing. Mayor Brian Treece voted against it, saying any tax increase is a matter for the public to vote on at the ballot, not for the council to decide. Voters in 2014 rejected a 30-cent property tax increase.

State law gives the council authority to reconsider its property tax rate every even-numbered year. The finance department said that the city has voluntarily waived doing so since 2002.

City Manager Mike Matthes said he would like to see the nearly $470,000 the raise would bring into the city saved for a new fire station in either east or southwest Columbia. City council members said the use of the money should be up for debate.