How is Columbia run?
Columbia’s town government spent $419,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $893 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Columbia didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Columbia is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
School Administrative District 37
Columbia’s K–12 school district, shared with Addison, Columbia Falls, Harrington, Milbridge. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,241 per pupil, $11,041 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Maine districts overall: 52% local, 40% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $893 per resident a year, or $2.45 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Columbia collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Columbia didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Columbia yet
Every year of Columbia’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $1,226 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.77% of the home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Columbia’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Columbia’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Columbia →
Who’s in charge in Columbia
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 469 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (469).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
How Columbia voted in 2024
Official results for Columbia’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican69.8%169 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat28.1%68 votesOthers: 2.1% (5 votes).
Most votes in Columbia: Donald J Trump
Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%
of Columbia’s 388 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Maine: 75%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Columbia: Demi Kouzounas
Maine: Jr 52.1%, Kouzounas 34.6%
President, 2024: Columbia, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 69.8% | 28.1% | 2.1% | 242 |
| Maine | 45.5% | 52.4% | 2.1% | 831,375 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Columbia.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Maine HouseState representatives
- 3Maine SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maine
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Columbia compares with the towns next door
Columbia’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 3 of the 3 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $401 to $2,781 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Falls | $401 | $1,667 |
| Harrington | $761 | $1,777 |
| Cherryfield | $2,781 runs schools | $1,950 |
| Columbia | estimate | $1,226 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Columbia’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Columbia’s government
How much does Columbia spend per resident?
About $893 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Columbia didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $486,000.
What is the property tax rate in Columbia?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,226 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.77% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.02% across Maine. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Columbia’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Columbia yet.
How did Columbia vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 69.8%, Kamala D Harris 28.1% (242 votes, official results). . Maine: Harris 52.4%, Trump 45.5%.
How many people work for Columbia?
1 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,776 (about $45,312 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Columbia in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Marianne Moore) and State House District 11 (Tiffany Strout). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Columbia’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Columbia, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →