ONLINE PAYMENTS AVAILABLE

Payment Services Network is the City’s online payment provider. Pay for building permits, pet licenses, and more online!

2020 MARKET VALUATION IN PROGRESS

Notice of 2020 Revaluation of Property & Frequently Asked Questions

HOMES SALES VS ASSESSED VALUES 01/01/2019 THRU 04/07/2020

CITY OF COLUMBUS BUDGET

The City has multiple funds that it creates budgets for each year and those funds are mainly driven by specific needs or functions.  Council and staff work hard to bring a proposed budget forward. 

CITY OF COLUMBUS - ADOPTED BUDGET 2020
CITY OF COLUMBUS - ADOPTED BUDGET 2021

SEWER RATE STUDY RESULTS

The Sewer Utility completed a review of its current rates in October of 2017. Rates for the Sewer Utility have not changed since 2008 in the City.  With increased costs of maintenance, operations and the larger projects being done each year to replace older infrastructure the Utility reviews its rates to determine if it is making ends meet for the day to day operations and debt payments of the Utility.  What the study found was that a 4% rate increase would be recommended for users of the system.

Sewer Utility Rates Effective 04-01-2018

Below is a cover letter which gives an overview of the recommendations coming from the City’s audit firm and then the full rate study for further information on how the change was arrived at.  A chart of how the rates would change is also shown below under "Sewer Utility - Proposed 2018 Rates".  The Council has reviewed this with the audit firm who completed the study and will be taking this to the regular meeting of the Council on February 20th to consider action.  

COVER LETTER - SEWER RATE STUDY

SEWER RATE STUDY

WORK PERMITS

Occasionally city staff are unavailable to issue work permits, please refer to the below link for alternate locations - remember to call locations first for availability!  WORK PERMIT NOTICE

UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LIST 

The following have unclaimed property.  If you are one of those the list or can provide updated information, please email the Finance Director.

UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LIST

SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS - ADOPTED GUIDELINES

At this time special assessments on any city project can be paid in basically two ways - in full before the tax roll information is due to the Columbia County Treasurer’s office or by installments.  Those installments are based on the amount of special assessments a property receives.

$1.00 TO $2,000.00 – 5 YEAR REPAYMENT

$2,001.00 TO $6,999.00 – 10 YEAR REPAYMENT

$7,000.00 TO $9,999.00 – 15 YEAR REPAYMENT

$10,000.00 AND OVER – 20 YEAR REPAYMENT

The interest rate is based on the interest rate the City is paying back on the debt/loan it has taken out to do a project plus 1%.   A property owner can make payments throughout the year as well to lessen the amount being placed on the tax bill or payoff a current year’s assessment so nothing appears on the tax bill. 

For more questions, please feel free to email me.

TAX COLLECTIONS  

City of Columbus noes not accept the second installment of real estate taxes. Please follow the instructions on the back of the green postcard you received form the Columbia County Treasurer.

Dog licenses should be paid by separate check - fees remain the same at $10 for spayed or neutered and $15 if they are not. State law requires dogs to be licensed by April 1st after that date a $5 per dog penalty is applied. 

Per State Statute the City can only accept tax payments in the months of December and January.  If you are paying your taxes after January 31st all payments would go to the County Treasurer at:

Columbia County Treasurer

PO Box 198

Portage, WI 53901 - 0198

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR TAXES

PAY TAXES