Columbia budget keeps property taxes flat, raises water and sewer 5%

Columbia’s budget tradeoff: flat property taxes, higher utility bills

Columbia’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget would keep the city’s property-tax rate unchanged while increasing water and sewer rates by 5%. For households, that means the most immediate change would likely show up on a utility bill, not in the city tax rate. The city’s June 9 budget discussion moved the plan through first reading, but the sources reviewed here do not confirm final adoption.

The city says the proposal is designed to preserve current services while funding needed infrastructure work. That matters because the budget is not just a spending outline; it is also the place where Columbia decides how much of the bill falls to property owners and how much falls to utility customers.

What council discussed on June 9

According to the City of Columbia’s June 9 highlights, the proposed budget keeps the current property tax rate flat and includes a 5% adjustment to water and sewer rates. The city links that change to critical system maintenance, debt service obligations, and about $93 million in water and sewer infrastructure improvements.

WIS-TV reported that the proposal passed first reading and estimated the monthly increase for a typical residential customer at about $3.92. That estimate is a newsroom calculation, not an official city figure, but it gives a rough sense of the household impact if the rate change is approved.

Why the city says the spending matters

The city says the broader capital plan totals more than $101.6 million across water, sewer, stormwater, and parking infrastructure. That makes the utility increase look less like a broad tax hike and more like a funding choice tied to maintenance and long-term system upgrades.

For residents, the practical takeaway is simple: if the budget is ultimately adopted in the form described by the city, Columbia homeowners would not see a property-tax-rate increase from this proposal, but water and sewer bills would rise. Renters could feel part of that cost indirectly if landlords pass along higher operating expenses.

The city said council was scheduled to consider final adoption on June 16, 2026, but the materials reviewed here do not confirm whether that final vote happened. Until the completed budget action is posted, the safest description is that Columbia has a proposed budget that cleared first reading and still needed final action.

Residents watching monthly costs should keep an eye on the final ordinance and the utility-rate language once the city posts the completed budget action.

Sources

• City of Columbia City Council Highlights — June 9, 2026
• City of Columbia Budget Office FAQ
• WIS-TV — Proposed Columbia budget with 5% water, sewer rate increase passes first reading