Columbia residents might not get the relief from a tighter limit on the annual charge assessed on their property.
The Columbia Association board of directors pushed back a decision to reduce from 3 percent to 2 percent the cap on the charge to determine how that revenue reduction would affect the organization.
“When assessments go up dramatically, it poses an undue burden on the assessment payers,” said board Chairwoman Barbara Russell, who advocated for the lower limit.
Having a cap forces the CA to take a closer look at its expenditures, said Russell, who represents the Village of Oakland Mills.
The board asked a budget committee to review the proposed cap reduction, and it has until April 30 to determine the cap for fiscal 2009.
The annual charge, which pays for parks and roads and is levied on all Columbia landowners, is 68 cents per $100 of valuation assessed on 50 percent of property.
For example, the owner of a $300,000 property would pay $1,020.
Board member Cynthia Coyle, who represents the Village of Harper?s Choice, said she was “not completely thrilled” with pushing back the decision.
“If you cut spending, you will still be able to do what you need to do with lowering the cap,” she said, adding that the budget committee also should be reviewing ways to trim spending.
However, the difference for the individual Columbia resident is minimal, said board member Evan Coren, who represents the Village of Kings Contrivance.
A cap reduction to 2 percent would save the owner of a $300,000 home $10 a year, he said, while having more drastic impact on the CA?s budget.
“For that kind of savings to send the CA into deficit spending is not worth it,” he said.
At the same time, the board agreed to an increase in membership fees, raising fees for residents and nonresidents to use CA facilities by about 3 percent, or the rate of inflation.
The increase was lower than the boost CA staff had recommended, which was as high as 12 percent for some fees, Coyle said.
“CA is not hurting for money,” Russell said.
