Columbia Fire Department says budget cut will not hurt service
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia Fire Department leaders say services won’t be cut despite a 1% drop in the department’s fiscal 2026 budget.
The city is predicting it will bring in around $560 million in revenue for fiscal 2026, for around $600 million in spending, leaving a deficit of $40 million, nearly double the city’s deficit for 2025 of $23 million. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
This proposal includes a $140,000, or 0.4%, decrease in police funding, a $300,000, or around 1%, decrease in fire department funding, and a little over $260,000, or a 26.6% decrease, in sustainability funding.
Columbia’s Chief Finance Director Matthew Lue explains that the $40 million deficit is because of the city’s Capital Budget spending.
The Capital Budget is funded by taxes and goes to city projects like infrastructure. This year, the city allocated more than $1.3 million from the budget for flock cameras and new equipment for the police department.
The Capital Budget tends to be saved up over several years, with large portions being spent at once, causing gaps to appear in annual budget reviews. City documents report that Columbia still has over $180 million in the Capital Budget.
“All of the budget has to be put together as one big document, because even though capital is separate, it still has to be accounted for within the total budget for the city,” Lue said. “So it always makes it look like that, it has been like that for years, there was always a discrepancy.”
Lue says the change in department budgets from last year is largely due to one-time purchases made during the 2025 fiscal year.
The Columbia Fire Department, for example, had a higher budget last year for roof repairs, a new water heater, and computer upgrades. With those purchases complete, the station can turn its attention to more internal improvements.
“We just welcomed new firefighters to the department this year, so that money is going towards their training, professional development and their personal protective equipment,” CFD spokesperson Katherine Rodriguez said. “What we’re doing instead is strategically investing in the parts that do matter, like our people, our most precious resource.”
The Columbia Fire Department does not expect any changes in operations due to budget changes.
Columbia’s Office of Sustainability similarly budgeted last year for a one-time housing study.
“While reductions in other areas will require us to pay even closer attention to the costs associated with Office activities, we do not expect a dramatic contraction in the level of service provided to Community Members,” Manager of Columbia’s Office of Sustainability Eric Hempel said in a statement.
Ward 5 councilmember Don Waterman said that a large concern in the 2026 fiscal budget is preparing for a tight budget. Last year, the expected tax revenue for the city fell 3% short, so the council is prepared to plan accordingly.
“We’re making the decision between safety and social services and infrastructure. Trying to juggle those as best we can,” Waterman said.
Waterman adds that the City Council will discuss the budget over the next month with the goal of voting on a budget in September before the 2026 fiscal year begins in October.