The Columbia City Council will begin the process of reviewing the fiscal year 2023 budget at its regular meeting Monday.
The council will set public hearings for the 2023 budget, which goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2022. Additionally, they will set public hearings for the 2022 property tax and proposed renovations to the McBaine Water Treatment Plant.
The council will also introduce water utility rate fee increases. There is a proposed 10% increase in base fees, a 15% increase in commercial usage fees, and up to a 30% increase in residential fees depending on usage. The proposed increases are expected to create an additional $2.5 million in revenue.
Fee increases in parks and recreation will also be introduced Monday. Maximum fees for activities and classes will see a $50 increase, as will baseball and softball fields’ daily rental rates.
Daily admission for the Activity & Recreation Center will also see a slight increase in price.
More discussion is anticipated surrounding the Columbia homeless population Monday night with public comments concerning the Wabash bus station and The District’s letter to council.
At the last meeting, The District argued in favor of the closure of one of the few emergency shelters that occasionally offer 24-hour-access to warming and cooling. The District’s executive director Nickie Davis called the bus station “unsuitable” for the unsheltered.
