Columbia residents can expect electric utility rates to increase by 2% starting Oct. 1, when fiscal year 2026 begins.
On Tuesday night, the Columbia City Council voted unanimously to increase the city’s electric rate, which will increase the utility’s revenue by approximately $2.8 million. The rate hike is expected to address increased operation and maintenance costs, according to a council memo.
Some council members indicated support for annual rate increases in the future to ensure that the city’s utilities are fully funded.
Fiscal year 2026 budget
The council is also one step closer to adopting the city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which puts the city in a deficit of about $2.7 million.
The deficit has narrowed from an original projection of $3.6 million, which was announced at the council’s Aug. 18 meeting. The change came from the city’s total revenue prediction decreasing by $327,000 and the total operating and expenditures decreasing by $1.1 million, making the net increase $824,000.
The budget is set to be voted on at the Sep. 15 council meeting.
Parking meter rates
The council tabled a proposed parking meter rate increase from 60 cents to $1 per hour to combat revenue drops in recent years. The increase was sparked from a request from the city's Parking Utility, which has not asked for a rate change in non-garage spaces since 2013.
The council will vote on the matter at its Sept. 15 meeting.
"We need to be here for the people who this will impact on a daily basis: the business owners and residents of the downtown area," Fourth Ward councilperson Nick Foster said in reference to continuing the conversation at the next meeting.
Public Works plans to eventually remove parking meters and shift the city to completely rely on the ParkMobile app and kiosks on each block, department representatives said.
Airport improvements
The council voted to place limitations on parking at the Columbia Regional Airport. Airport leadership reported cars left at the airport parking lot for long periods of time, even growing waist-high weeds in one case. The city can now ticket vehicles parked there for 30 days and tow them after 45 days if motorists don't complete the proper documentation for long-term parking.
The council also voted to establish new United Airlines flights from Columbia to Denver and Chicago beginning Sept. 25.
