The Columbia City Council will get its first close-up look at the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget on Monday.
The budget calls for a 5.9% increase in personnel services, including employee salaries. The budget also anticipates the city will receive $75.6 million in sales and use taxes, a 2.3% increase over the current fiscal year, and $11.1 million in property taxes, a 3% bump.
The budget will be discussed during the regular council meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Daniel Boone City Building, 701 E. Broadway.
The city will also seek public input on the budget during a series of meetings in the coming weeks. The council will consider formally adopting the budget in September.
Priorities for the coming year are public safety, employees and housing, according to City Manager De’Carlon Seewood’s introduction to the budget. The 2026 fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
In his budget introduction, Seewood said a shortage of police officers in recent years has been a challenge. However, he said the opening of the city’s new police academy has helped the Columbia Police Department hire 28 new officers in 2025.
The city has also worked over the past three years to boost employee wages.
“The City has seen an increase in applicants for city employment and improved retention,” Seewood wrote in his introduction.
The budget also includes additional funds for Housing and Neighborhood Services. That department is expecting a 15.6% jump in revenue.
“The City continues to look at how we can take recommendations outlined in the housing study to increase the production and availability of attainable housing in and around Columbia,” Seewood wrote.
The city also is forecasting an increase in fees for various services. This comes as water and electricity rates are expected to change in the coming fiscal year.
During the Monday meeting, the council also is scheduled to:
- Hear an update on the Opportunity Campus by Ed Stansberry, executive director of the Voluntary Action Center. The Opportunity Campus is a homeless service center under construction along Business Loop 70.
- Learn details of a renewable energy plan, which outlines how much energy comes from renewable sources and aims to help the city reach its alternative energy goals.
- Discuss and hear public comment about a proposal to change the city’s water rate structure, which could lead to higher water bills for some residents but lower costs for others.
