The Columbia Board of Aldermen on June 13 adopted the town’s 2020 budget, retaining the $0.601 per $100 valuation property tax rate that is in the current budget.

About the only change in the recommendations made earlier by town manager Rhett White was that town employees got a 5% salary increase. White had asked for a 2% across-the-board upgrade.

White declined any raise in pay for himself, but the other six employees will see 5% increases at the end of July.

The board also requested Sue Griffin and Sarita Midgett Hines to submit information about themselves for further consideration as potential successor to Seth Gibbs, who resigned as alderman in May when he moved his resident outside the town.