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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">P.O. BOX 6015 <br />COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">September 17, 2024</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Matthew Lue
<br />Director
<br />Finance
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.874.7368
<br />Matthew.Lue@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">City Council approves balanced budget for fiscal year 2025, Sept. 16</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display:inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At their Sept. 16 meeting, the Columbia City Council approved the City’s budget for fiscal year 2025. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The FY25 budget outlines priorities and all planned activities for the upcoming fiscal year that runs Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025. The City’s priorities for FY25 include infrastructure, public safety, housing and social services.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"With the City budget officially approved, I am thrilled about the opportunities that lie ahead for our community. This funding allows us to implement key projects and initiatives that will enhance the quality of life for our residents," said City Manager De’Carlon Seewood. "I am excited to work alongside our dedicated employees to turn these plans into reality and make a positive impact in the coming fiscal year."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City of Columbia's total budget is broken down into two parts. The first part is the operation budget, which is the financial plan that covers the day-to-day expenses of all funds, such as salaries, utilities and supplies. This portion of the annual budget is supported by the City’s annual revenue sources and must be balanced each fiscal year, as required by the City Charter which states, </span><a style="white-space:nowrap" href="https://library.municode.com/mo/columbia/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTICH_ARTVDEFI_S35FIBUBUME"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"In no event shall the total amount of the proposed expenditures exceed the estimated income of the city."</span></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The second part is the capital improvement plan (CIP) budget, which goes to fund current and future capital improvement projects. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Capital improvement projects take more than a year to complete, so the funds appropriated for the projects are not spent within the fiscal year they are originally budgeted, making it appear expenditures exceed revenue. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The capital budget is supported through multiple funding sources, including bonds, grants and cash reserves.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The FY25 budget is broken down as follows: </span></p>
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<p><strong>Total Revenue</strong></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">$539,046,424</span></p>
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<p><strong>Total Operating Expenditures</strong></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">$528,230,417</span></p>
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<p><strong>Total Capital Improvement Project Fund Expenditures</strong></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">$34,466,757</span></p>
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<p><strong>Total Expenditures </strong></p>
<p><strong>(Operating + Capital)</strong></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">$562,697,174</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />The City of Columbia Finance department has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association for the past 27 years. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The award reflects the City’s commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the award, the City’s budget had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines that measure how well the budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The City’s Finance department works tirelessly each year to craft a balanced budget that will support the City’s many functions and services for the upcoming fiscal year," said Finance Director Matthew Lue. "I am confident the fiscal year 2025 budget adopted by the City Council will support the City’s mission of making Columbia the best place to live, work, learn and play."</span></p></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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