Columbus is keeping its property tax rate right where it is, but residents can expect to pay more when they turn on the tap.
The Town Council on Thursday signed off on the fiscal year 2026–27 budget, sticking with the existing property tax rate of 51.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation while signing off on higher water and wastewater rates, updated user fees and a new $3 technology charge on card payments. The plan avoids adding any new staff positions or buying vehicles.
According to the Tryon Daily Bulletin, the utility side of the budget includes a 15 percent hike in water and wastewater charges, along with higher tap fees that town officials expect will free up about $110,000 for capital improvements. The council also approved a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for full-time employees and agreed to extend its sanitation contract with GFL Environmental for one year.
What Residents Will See On Their Bills
Under the new structure, the base water charge for customers using up to 3,000 gallons a month rises from $24.05 to $27.65. The base sewer charge climbs from $34.80 to about $40.02, and water and sewer tap fees go up by $500.
The budget also tacks on a $3 technology fee for debit and credit card transactions and cuts the food-truck permit fee from $200 to $75. Council members said the mix of increases and reductions is meant to help stabilize town revenues without touching the property tax rate. “It is a recovery and stabilization budget,” Jessica Trotman told the Tryon Daily Bulletin.
Sanitation, Staffing And Next Steps
The one-year sanitation contract extension with GFL will roll out 96‑gallon recycling carts and shift curbside recycling to every-other-week pickup, with an exact schedule to be announced by the town.
In other business, the council signed off on several consent items, including budget amendments, a penny discontinuation policy, a streets capital project ordinance and a key-control policy. Officials also noted that the police department currently has one vacant position.
The next regular council meeting is set for July 16, 2026, at 5:15 p.m. at Town Hall, according to the Town of Columbus.
