About the Alliance for a Better Columbia. . .

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A better Columbia is the goal of us all. But, as individuals acting alone, it’s usually hard to persuade the powers-that-be to make the changes that are necessary.

That’s why a group of concerned Columbia residents founded the Alliance for a Better Columbia (ABC) back in 1987. They saw the need for an independent grass-roots organization that could make a difference on issues that residents care the most about. Since then, many people have joined ABC to work together and serve as a strong voice for the residents of Columbia.

The mission of ABC, as a citizens organization, is to:

Listen to the community and understand residents’ desires and concerns.
Track issues affecting Columbia’s residents, especially those issues that involve Columbia Association management and Columbia Council/CA Board of Directors policies, actions, and public statements.
Inform people about Columbia issues and decisions, serve as an advocate for Columbia residents’ priorities, interests, and concerns, and make appropriate recommendations for action to achieve a better community.

Through the years, most of ABC’s attention has focused on making CA more responsive to residents’ needs. We’ve made some good headway through the years, particularly when some of our members and supporters were elected to serve on CA’s governing body, the Columbia Council. However, there remains widespread concern about the way CA currently operates, which means that ABC’s efforts are needed now more than ever.

Looking forward, ABC will be recommending ways to make CA’s facilities and programs more affordable, opposing any attempts to close or convert our neighborhood pools, pressing for reforms in Columbia’s governance structure, and tackling any other Columbia-related issues that you and other residents feel are important.

We appreciate your interest and hope that you will choose ABC as the civic organization that you will support this year. Please press the “JOIN US” button on our home page and do your part in making a better Columbia.