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Columbus Water & Power proposes $951 million 2026 budget; billing system, dewatering contracts and a $30M LED plan are central
Summary
Deputy Director John Lee told council the Columbus Water & Power 2026 operating budget totals about $951 million, driven by operations, debt service and large contracts; staff flagged a $14 million customer-billing implementation, $28.2 million dewatering contract, and an estimated $30 million LED streetlight modernization project while expanding affordability programs.
Deputy Director John Lee presented Columbus Water and Power's proposed 2026 operating budget to the Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee, saying the package balances regional growth, reliability and customer affordability while reflecting increases in operations and debt service.
Lee said the utility's 2026 operating budget represents a 9.7% increase over 2025 and cited drivers that include operations and maintenance, debt-service costs for capital investments and professional services contracts. He told the committee the total proposed operating budget across the utility is approximately $951,000,000.
Major expenditures and programs: Lee identified several large, explicit budget items: about $14,000,000 allocated to implement a new customer billing…
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