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Columbia officials say general fund faces widening personnel costs, $3.5 million gap in proposed FY26 budget
Summary
City staff told Columbia City Council members that personnel expenses and prior class-and-comp changes have driven the general fund higher, creating a proposed $3.5 million shortfall for FY26 to be covered from reserves unless revenues improve or amendments are made.
City budget staff told the Columbia City Council on Monday that the general fund budget for fiscal year 2026 is roughly $3.5 million more than projected revenues and that most of the growth in expenditures stems from personnel costs tied to an earlier class-and-comp compensation overhaul.
Council members heard that staffing levels have recovered since the pay adjustments and that the city now has "very little vacancies" in the general fund compared with 2023, but that full staffing produces a cost the city must carry. "We went from worrying about positions that were vacant ... to basically, looking at full staff," Matt Lou, a staff presenter, said during the work session.
Why it matters: the general fund pays for core city services — police, fire, municipal courts and other public safety and administrative…
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