Columbia leaders to work on 2019 budget

The Columbia City Council is scheduled to hold a work session to focus on the FY 2019 budget.

“This FY 2019 budget is defined primarily by a lack of revenue,” according to the city manager’s presentation. “Our ability to balance the expectations of a ‘full service city’ with our ability to pay for those services has reached the tipping point.”

In the 2018 State of the City address, City Manager Mike Matthes touted Columbia’s low property taxes, paving the way for his idea, a property tax increase on a future ballot.

Matthes said in an ABC 17 News report in July, that his proposed cuts for 2019 have him considering a “priority-based” budget for 2020. That involves the community ranking each department by most important to fund to least.

The work session is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday at Columbia City Hall and is open to the public.