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Columbia County adopts 2026 budgets, approves fee changes and fund diversions
Summary
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners adopted the 2026 current-expense and department budgets and passed several related resolutions, including a 6% solid-waste fee increase and a $133,000 diversion from road funds to parks and recreation. The board also rejected 2026 fuel bids and directed staff to rebid.
Columbia County commissioners on Dec. 15 adopted the county'wide 2026 budget package and approved a set of related fiscal measures intended to balance services and reserves.
The board voted to adopt resolution 2025-34, which finalizes the 2026 current-expense budget, followed by resolution 2025-37 covering various other county budgets and resolution 2025-39 for the public-works department. Commissioners said the adopted plan relies on conservative assumptions about revenue and uses modest transfers from reserves and program balances to close shortfalls.
As part of the package, the board approved a 6% increase in the county'run solid-waste fee for 2026 under resolution 2025-31, a step staff said aligns Columbia County with neighboring jurisdictions. Public works staff told commissioners the increase mirrors fees already adopted in adjacent areas and is intended to keep curbside and landfill services solvent.
Commissioners also approved a one-time diversion of $133,000 from County Road funds into the Parks & Recreation/current-expense fund for 2026 under resolution 2025-35. The diversion, described in court as a commonly used interfund transfer, will back fairgrounds and local pedestrian/bicycle project needs, the board said.
The board opened, discussed and then closed two public hearings tied to the budgets and related amendments. Auditor and budget staff told the board many of the 2025 year-end amendments covered compensation and unanticipated payroll costs; the 2026 budget decisions were described as a cautious approach given state funding uncertainties.
On procurement matters, commissioners voted to reject the 2026 fuel-contract bids as submitted and instructed staff to rebid after clarifying language with vendors. The board also adopted resolution 2025-40 to continue Fund 122 (special purpose paths and trails), which banks and allocates a small annual share of fuel tax receipts for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
All recorded motions during the meeting carried by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tallies in the minutes. The board recessed briefly to convene the county Board of Health and later reconvened to finish other business.
