The City of Columbia Approves the City’s Final Budget for the Fiscal Year 2025-26

The Columbia City Council approved the city’s final budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025–2026 on Thursday, June 12th, 2025. The approved budget, which guarantees the upkeep and improvement of essential City services and totals $88,953,406 for all funds, was accomplished without raising property taxes. Strategic, plan-driven investments in all City departments are reflected in the FY 2025–2026 budget. Maintaining investments in City workers, such as raising salaries by 4% for all staff, is a major priority to make the City more competitive in hiring and retaining people. The City’s General Fund, the main operating fund that finances the majority of the city’s essential services, such as administration, parks, fire, police, and public works, receives 58% ($51,773,323) of the overall budget. Over the previous year, the General Fund increased by 9.5% ($4.5 million). Various major projects and activities are also included in this budget. For the City’s FY 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), about $52.7 million has been set aside. A new wastewater treatment plant, a public works storage and fuel facility, downtown wayfinding signage, street resurfacing, improvements at the Nashville Highway and Bear Creek Pike intersection, Iron Bridge and Mt. Olivet Bridge replacement projects, technology and capital equipment replacements, and more than $2 million in improvements to the Columbia Aquatics and Recreation Center are all part of the $124.6 million, five-year CIP.