[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6155923,"mediaKeyId","5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c","parentId",5472946,"title","Columbia to convert airport and parks safety staff to sworn police assignments amid hiring challenges","audioSeconds",263,"startMs",4860000,"endMs",5123000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c&start=4860&end=5123","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c/thumbnail_4860000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6155923/Columbia/Boone-County/Missouri/Columbia-to-convert-airport-and-parks-safety-staff-to-sworn-police-assignments-amid-hiring-challenges","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155923-ad2d3d54cb474b8786244b9c0deaa798/orig.mp4?Expires=1770873426&Signature=aQajndZUd~Oi33iDNO5hb0EgIE-PGEAHAg5M2d4FORy59WTGYorYJyu8dYjzsnsg6vm6PS1z3zJ88~sw-pzJBfTo6AEbND0CcTWPYCp6UZbQGCfTqrWQ0LPnunCuNc~O5UfwtYWhqMZJI4W2HJpZ8x577TbXJ909yJpdL0Ru7CzTxjSYcj~K2HybaPW6qLQuiZPn74iRXrOHBY9c4gtN4uMlsUfozFCeRebXDLfR8tuHU8kTgTUOmEeVS-Q7UBIkxHM9c1xNtVClD3K0YQGPI4C4VY~40NwJsHVVxbQPU4Cz46XWNGBTaThHR12FTg8MS0YqmUqwUvi4zBjCTJ4wLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MO / City of Columbia","date","2025-07-14T00:00:00Z","article","Columbia officials told the City Council that several park and airport safety positions will be reclassified as sworn police officer assignments to improve supervision, align pension coverage and address persistent hiring difficulties.

What staff proposed
Budget staff and the police department presented a plan to make four park safety positions and two airport safety positions into sworn police officer positions and to treat them as specialized police assignments similar to school resource officers or detectives. Chief leadership said post-certified employees must be supervised by the police chief under state guidance, and consolidating those roles within the police department will improve oversight.

Staff rationale and operational details
City staff said the positions had been difficult to fill as park rangers or airport public-safety officers, which were covered by a different pension system and paid at different rates. \"We just haven't gotten that level of interest... we haven't been able to hire a park ranger,\" a staff presenter said. Bringing the roles into police classification will make them a standard specialized assignment; officers will apply and be selected per contract rules. The positions are intended to cover park trails, special events and airport security duties.

Budget and staffing implications
Staff acknowledged modest additional payroll and pension costs for the reclassification but characterized them as manageable. The presentation said the change was expected to cost less than $12,000 per position in added annual expense compared with prior pay structures (staff-provided estimate). Staff also said the airport and parks assignments will be staffed on 12-hour shifts and that the department will continue to adjust operations to meet TSA screening and airport operational hours.

Why it matters
The change affects how the city staffs parks and airport security functions, how those employees are compensated and how their duties are supervised. It also has modest near-term budget implications due to higher sworn-officer compensation and pension participation.

Council follow-up
Council members asked for clarification on pension differences and fiscal impacts; staff said numeric details would be included in budget documents and that they would return with final numbers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Columbia City Budget Work Session July 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City officials said four park positions and two airport safety positions will become sworn police positions in FY26 so they fall under the police chief's chain of command and pension plan; staff cited hiring and supervision challenges for the change.","taxTitle","Columbia, Boone County, Missouri","taxId",2593,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155928,"Public health officials warn of program cuts and staff losses after recent grant reductions",462,4338000,4800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c&start=4338&end=4800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c/thumbnail_4338000.jpg","/articles/6155928/Columbia/Boone-County/Missouri/Public-health-officials-warn-of-program-cuts-and-staff-losses-after-recent-grant-reductions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155928-905dfb8e6164bdc207682b16b73754a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770873426&Signature=Vb3RFBoFm5gsIW7EQrZaBeM31FAVW0UvLhIGuG60rIXk4lTkLUyDmtzVgJJY4cfFsT5nutuYFk3J2i8Mfx2W9yZRTNx99TXbwPpQXZiemSq3Nlj8ng2UgeGdth~TtIJsi1~d-DLtDS7gPmCCMmO76zQXlZGEn~G7ghBvmKT6Xql2-NzSm1-Y9DYMG08SNruMCwIv3SX2qTRZAqWShYBAPKWIA8ikLV1UnGbp56NXF6WYuF0i3h4k6Scvl2FnkmsqLkJjnYdqPlAsIwOdNtgELGkd5iFEqhbtba7cQvYh07KQEHUIX1tFtyTwOERzCE323DIlo3pdJO7-PUJPyIzEKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public Health and Human Services staff told the Columbia City Council that recent state and federal funding cuts are forcing program reductions and time-limited staffing changes that will affect several public health services.

Key program impacts
Rebecca, a public-health staff member who addressed council at the work session, said the department had several recent funding losses and suspensions:
- Community health worker program: three community health worker positions funded by COVID-era grants will end on Sept. 30; two of the three staff have been reassigned within the department, and the remaining position will be discontinued.
- Emergency preparedness grant (EPL/ELC): the department received only 50% of an expected contract amount; staff said they retooled the budget to continue the program for six months while they await state guidance in October on remaining funding.
- Home visiting program: a DESE-funded home-visiting program that supports birth outcomes and reduces child abuse and neglect will lose funding on Sept. 30 and the state indicated it will provide two-thirds of the previous amount starting Oct. 1.

Flu clinics and service changes
As a cost-saving measure, the department will not operate in-school flu vaccination clinics this year for the first time since H1N1; the department will continue community clinic offerings and maintain immunizations at its office. Rebecca said school-based vaccination numbers have declined in recent years — from roughly 7,500 to about 4,700 in the most recent year — and that vaccinations are increasingly available through pharmacies and other providers.

Why it matters
Public-health program reductions change where residents receive services and which services are available in schools and community settings. Staff said they will issue press releases and coordinate with school partners to inform residents about alternate vaccine locations and clinic schedules.

Council questions
Council members asked about outreach and whether the department can steer residents to alternative providers; staff said they will publish clinic schedules and coordination plans for community providers and schools.

Staff note
Rebecca warned that the situation remains fluid: \"Everything is stable-ish. We've received as many cuts as we're anticipating. But I mean, that can change at any minute,\" she said. Council members thanked public-health staff for efforts to adjust services and for the data they provided on vaccination trends.","The city’s Public Health and Human Services representative told the council that several grant-funded positions and programs will end or be reduced, including three community health worker posts and school-based flu clinics, and that staff are retooling budgets to cover shortened grants pending state decisions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155933,"Columbia staff explain 'G&A' and other internal fees used to bill utilities and departments",1062,3081000,4143000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c&start=3081&end=4143","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c/thumbnail_3081000.jpg","/articles/6155933/Columbia/Boone-County/Missouri/Columbia-staff-explain-GA-and-other-internal-fees-used-to-bill-utilities-and-departments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155933-8b02e27fcb84ac8599ce0e0576667efd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770873426&Signature=Em-j8RY9aWhgWuryAhjCpvb98m7jjelEyeEJQghf~Ko9YvB5ewhJjQnDGuhWqdEccwbr0vkE8H1ZqLBleJLsnrerPMY9YobDVUiqwgV9ik9A~wuiEMZUQAjfGiylEjivleEer-cnvhKeGfWq2ECDxtuldbluQ2M5cc081nR-b8fwGpzevJJJwxd62K7j-iVCV4whn9VBTnCUblE0QvisfA0GuRj7~SGuQhgSrD7TMW825z23e8UQeslrEqiWtmE~OwArzKXkshpIXQtrWL4NDopO08pYNmKUeTix7LEGz17IfEEZCJPJDW6gGVsOfAfOowWMH0qGmwvu5xFEmzeF3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City budget staff used Monday’s work session to explain how the general fund recovers administrative costs from other city funds and departments through intergovernmental fees, public communication fees and facilities fees.

What staff told council
The largest of these receipts are G&A (general and administrative) fees, which staff said will total about $14 million in the FY26 budget. Those fees are charged to enterprise funds, utilities and other funds to recover centralized services the general fund provides — for example legal, finance, payroll and human resources support — so each fund pays its fair share of administrative overhead.

Staff gave examples: the airport pays for a police division called airport safety, and utilities pay portions of IT and finance costs because those services are operated out of the general fund. \"For instance ... the electric fund would pay an intergovernmental fee for the IT work,\" a staff presenter said.

Separate fees and how they are calculated
Budget staff distinguished the G&A fees from two additional, separately calculated charges:
- Public communication fees: charged for creative services, marketing, website, social media and contact-center work; calculated based on each department's share of materials, supplies and service budgets or contact-center referral histories. The city’s in-house creative services unit produces the CitySource newsletter and other products that are then billed to departments that use them.
- Facilities fees: recover building maintenance, custodial time and utilities for city-owned buildings; hours and square footage are tracked and used to allocate costs to departments by square footage or averaged custodial-hours data.

Why it matters
Staff said these charges prevent cross-subsidization and keep revenue inside the fund where it was collected, which is a core principle of municipal fund accounting. \"Revenue collected by a certain fund has to stay within that fund,\" a staff presenter explained.

Council requests
Council members asked for example calculations and handouts. Staff said detailed worksheets are available and that they will bring sample calculations for G&A, public communications and facilities fees at the Saturday follow-up so departments and board members can see how fees are computed and allocated.","Budget staff walked council through intergovernmental charges — general and administrative (G&A) fees, communications fees, and facilities fees — that transfer costs from the general fund to enterprise and other funds to recover central services such as legal, HR, IT and building maintenance.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155939,"City staff cite unpredictability in use and marijuana tax receipts while sales tax steady; council approves temporary transfer into general fund",632,776000,1408000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c&start=776&end=1408","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c/thumbnail_776000.jpg","/articles/6155939/Columbia/Boone-County/Missouri/City-staff-cite-unpredictability-in-use-and-marijuana-tax-receipts-while-sales-tax-steady-council-approves-temporary-transfer-into-general-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155939-d192ccc62264f0df8c97b061942b8319/orig.mp4?Expires=1770873426&Signature=YPmcnAgaMkoCaNscvt4cnm3GNqqpXWt1GrxlM9oktM0jeIH3gAxVLPJ38Tr5~qjhVCWBtBYTzyJwI0W4PNSQ-Vwlxq590NxoQu2JoaiI6lc56VEVuUhfWpyohdiicEcL-8SJh4-P0tiNftwlOuj61~FQZCduHfxeuxbsWrR2akCIMAu~5~trmXJMONhut0nHjA21nVJpQit3ad1k8FgN6HYeT7WiK2BO~T8scRi0sKyr1C~Pcz0wLU5I~J2ngQgrsUsj7v2u~IltOewEFls6goqbScchAjnm-xCXXr-de8N-osOjYircirs4~t9qIBPdtZN7ofPJ0y5LwXdadkvgZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City budget staff told Columbia City Council members that sales and use tax together remain the single largest revenue source for the general fund, that use tax receipts have been unusually variable, and that the city has reallocated a portion of the public improvement sales tax back to the general fund for FY26 to narrow the budget gap.

Lede facts and forecasts
Staff said sales tax and use tax together make up roughly 30% to 38% of general fund revenue, and overall sales-tax growth for the city is forecast at about 1 percent for FY26. \"Overall though, it's about a 1% increase for sales tax is what we're forecasting,\" said DeCarlin, a staff presenter.

Use tax unpredictability
Budget staff described use tax as particularly unpredictable: \"there's really no rhyme or reason for the way use tax comes in, so it makes it very unpredictable,\" Lou said. Staff reported that use tax collections have come in above budgeted expectations in the current year and are offsetting some of a sales-tax shortfall.

Marijuana and other local taxes
Staff also discussed the city's marijuana excise tax and said its collections have fluctuated; staff said they had re-estimated marijuana tax revenue downward after a large one-month jump that proved nonrecurring. \"We re-estimated... Now we are forecasting around $600,000 for the upcoming budget,\" a staff presenter said. The city treats marijuana receipts differently from general sales tax in accounting and can spend marijuana revenue more flexibly, staff said.

Public improvement sales tax transfer
To help balance the FY26 general fund, staff said the council is temporarily pulling back a portion of the public improvement sales tax that had previously been allocated to a separate public improvement fund. Staff explained that 0.2 percentage point of the one-percent sales tax (commonly referenced as 2% of the city's 1% allocation to public improvements) will be included in the general fund for FY26; staff told council the decision will be reviewed on a year-by-year basis for FY27. \"Instead of setting funds aside in a public improvements fund, we actually put that back into the general fund,\" Lou said.

Why it matters
Sales, use and excise taxes together fund a large share of local government operations. Changes in these revenue lines — especially when reassigning funds from a capital or improvement fund to the general fund — affect the city's ability to pay for maintenance, capital projects and ongoing services.

Council follow-up
Council members asked that staff present, on Saturday and in later sessions, examples of projects previously paid from the public improvement fund and a five-year picture of sales, use and marijuana taxes so council can weigh the trade-offs of the temporary transfer back into the general fund.

Staff cautioned that most forecasting vendors supply county- or national-level data that may not perfectly match local collection patterns and that receipts can swing on events such as weather, home-game schedules and other local factors.","Budget staff told the council that sales tax projections are modestly up (about 1%) for FY26, use tax has been stronger than budgeted and marijuana tax receipts are volatile; staff also said they temporarily moved a 0.2 percentage point portion of the public improvement sales tax back into the general fund to help balance FY26.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155943,"Columbia officials say general fund faces widening personnel costs, $3.5 million gap in proposed FY26 budget",3780,10000,3790000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c&start=10&end=3790","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5472946-8c47ad4113d7c9ad8d0196e05290d08c/thumbnail_10000.jpg","/articles/6155943/Columbia/Boone-County/Missouri/Columbia-officials-say-general-fund-faces-widening-personnel-costs-35-million-gap-in-proposed-FY26-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155943-a5249f48207672b03326e7c1893ee13a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770873426&Signature=ZqLmvicWGtppCea7VKvMawPZeN05sWBjB0y08PKs09K-7H-fcbTHm74jBU5pS9dpgYQmosu-VlPISBPG4NIAeiBzULS3wH1UgXBqgDkZIBso~qzA1GascoblKmiAtgu3hiTsuaOdQbFVsT49lyUUC6~FzT2chceasiw636AuT9Y-s9HP9iemXQOgEfhwSxSAjfci~5ziBYsD7T9fbwCBY7qUTtRx9GwQdIuws-A3YoNU6MywjFN-ZX0~DzB-fsXg8xZtiuPKm~7UR2pQT-F4biuq-8E571bGUh3pWw--U2STgOzAlUacGA2xbmok9GOOYK1IVODWX9r8-SKjXUUfkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City budget staff told the Columbia City Council on Monday that the general fund budget for fiscal year 2026 is roughly $3.5 million more than projected revenues and that most of the growth in expenditures stems from personnel costs tied to an earlier class-and-comp compensation overhaul.

Council members heard that staffing levels have recovered since the pay adjustments and that the city now has \"very little vacancies\" in the general fund compared with 2023, but that full staffing produces a cost the city must carry. \"We went from worrying about positions that were vacant ... to basically, looking at full staff,\" Matt Lou, a staff presenter, said during the work session.

Why it matters: the general fund pays for core city services — police, fire, municipal courts and other public safety and administrative operations. Rising personnel costs therefore affect most city functions and limit the budget flexibility available for one-time projects or new programs.

Budget context and reserves
Staff said the city previously carried a substantially larger reserve balance: when one budget director arrived the fund balance was \"about $50 million above the required reserve,\" Lou said. Since then, staff said they have tightened budget projections and used excess reserves for one-time investments, including a $5 million vehicle purchase and other capital items. For FY26, staff said they expect to use some of the amount above the target reserve to balance the proposed budget.

Revenue and expenditure trends
Lou presented a multi-year view showing a roughly 19% increase in general fund revenue from fiscal 2023 to the proposed FY26 and a 29% increase in expenditures over the same period, driven in part by the class-and-comp recognition that added roughly $10 million in general fund personnel expense.

Sales and use tax remain the largest single revenue source for the general fund, representing about 25% of revenue and roughly 30% when use tax is combined with sales tax per staff presentation. Staff described use tax and select other taxes as unpredictable in timing and magnitude, which complicates short-term forecasting.

Council questions and staff responses
Council members pressed staff on the efficacy of the class-and-comp investment, vacancy reduction, and the revenue assumptions used in the FY26 forecast. \"It'd be good to kinda know what have been the trade offs ... was the investment working?\" a council member asked; Lou replied that vacancy rates have declined and that came earlier than expected, producing an earlier-than-anticipated price tag for personnel.

Staff said the FY25 shortfall in the general fund was \"a little under a million dollars\" and that the FY26 proposed budget is about $3.5 million over projected revenues. Staff recommended using reserves and, where needed, bringing amendments during the year to match budgets to spending needs.

Next steps
Staff said the presentation is the first of three budget work sessions and that council will see further slides and examples on Saturday, including department-level savings and graphical breakdowns of changes year over year. The staff also said they plan to present a proposed budget document to the council after the Saturday work session and ahead of the official first reading in August.","City staff told Columbia City Council members that personnel expenses and prior class-and-comp changes have driven the general fund higher, creating a proposed $3.5 million shortfall for FY26 to be covered from reserves unless revenues improve or amendments are made.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Columbia to convert airport and parks safety staff to sworn police assignments amid hiring challenges

Public health officials warn of program cuts and staff losses after recent grant reductions

Columbia staff explain 'G&A' and other internal fees used to bill utilities and departments

City staff cite unpredictability in use and marijuana tax receipts while sales tax steady; council approves temporary transfer into general fund

Columbia officials say general fund faces widening personnel costs, $3.5 million gap in proposed FY26 budget