Columbia city council meets Saturday for budget work session

Columbia’s city council held its first budget work session over the weekend.

This comes after city manager De’Carlon Seewood presented his proposal for the city’s $533 million budget last week. The proposed budget includes $10 million for city employee pay raises and the creation of a new city department focusing on affordable housing and home ownership.

There will be three more public hearings on the budget on Aug. 7, Aug. 21 and Sept. 5. The city’s fiscal year begins in October.