[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Columbia City Council approves $442 million FY 2016 budget

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Public Communications 573-874-7240

Columbia City Council approves $442 million FY 2016 budget

COLUMBIA, MO (September 23, 2015) - On Monday evening the Columbia City Council approved the fiscal year 2016 budget.  The budget has expenditures of just under $455 million and expected revenues of nearly $422 million.

 

To achieve better coordination of development and utilities, Public Works and Water & Light will be reorganized. John Glascock will be promoted from director of Public Works to deputy city manager. He will oversee all Utilities, Community Development, GIS and Public Works.  Director of Water & Light, Tad Johnsen, will become the director of Utilities and Dave Nichols will be the director of Public Works.  This reorganization will better organize services and will align all utility operations.

 

The Public Communications Department will be renamed to Community Relations and a new community relations director will be hired.  The director will be the primary liaison with news media, managing the City’s approach to public information, news conferences, social networks, the City Channel and the Contact Center.  This position will help the City with centralized messaging and will be the point person for communicating information.

 

Both of these changes will help the City become better at providing services and information to citizens and will streamline processes.

 

In the general fund, the gap between expenditures and revenues was eliminated in the fiscal year 2014 adopted budget.  The gap was closed for the 2015 budget and will remain closed in the 2016 projected budget.  The FY 2016 budget does not impose new taxes on residents and does not increase residential rates for electric, water, sewer or solid waste.

 

The fiscal year 2014 general fund ended with a net savings of $4.2 million. Half of that money goes back to departments to spend on one-time projects and the other half was available for the City Council to allocate through the budget process.

 

City Council approved $500,000 to support Welcome Home’s new veteran’s emergency shelter, the City will give $100,000 to help more families buy affordable first homes within the city limits and $200,000 will be used to build four affordable homes with “net zero” energy use and with universal design features accessible to anyone, regardless of abilities.

 

While Columbia’s population is growing, the community has become a tale of two cities.  The pain of the recession, post-recession, poverty, per capita income and skills is not equally shared among Columbians. Columbia’s unemployment rate is lower than the national average, however, there is a significant gap between the overall unemployment rate and the black unemployment rate. Our community is also seeing increased poverty, decreased per capita income and a gap between skills our employers need and skills our community members have.


The City is striving for a community where everyone can thrive. To increase jobs that support families, the City will allocate $110,000 for a contract with Job Point for vocational training services.  Another $492,980 will be put toward a partnership with CARE (Career Awareness Related Experience) that will pair 235 at-risk youth with local businesses and agencies.  There will be $50,000 allocated to support Cradle to Career to help children and youth learn, graduate and attain skills needed for lifelong success.



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