A city budget is more than numbers on a page, it’s a reflection of our priorities.

When you turn on the water, call for help, drive down your street, visit a park, or see City crews at work, there’s a budget behind those services.

Columbia’s new budget lays out how the City plans to invest your dollars over the coming year. And I think you deserve to understand where that money goes, what it pays for, and what it means for you and your family.

Although this is my first budget process since joining City Council in January, I’ve quickly learned that a city budget is about much more than numbers on a page. It’s about the services we all depend on and the kind of city we’re building together.

A few things I want you to know:

– We delivered a balanced budget with no tax increase.

– 43% of the City’s General Fund is dedicated to public safety: supporting our police, fire, and emergency response services.

– We’re also confronting some very real infrastructure needs. Columbia is an older city, which means investing in aging water infrastructure and addressing fire stations that need to be renovated or rebuilt.

And while this budget includes no tax increase, residents will continue to see the previously approved 5% annual adjustment to water and sewer rates, now in year four of a five-year plan.

Will there be tough decisions to make in the years ahead? Yes. Columbia is growing, and our responsibility is to manage that growth wisely, invest in what keeps our city strong and safe, and ensure every part of Columbia benefits from our progress.

I put together this video and a few graphics to make the numbers a little easier to understand. Take a look, and let me know what questions you have.