CoMoBUZ Insider Briefing, July 10, 2026

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike takes a look at the upcoming election on Aug. 4 and the impact it will have on Columbia. An open seat from the fourth ward gets filled and will surely change the dynamics of the city council. And the fate of a proposed one-cent sales tax increase to fund public safety will shape the narrative from city hall for months, if not years. For a city council that insists it’s mindful of equitable outcomes in its policy making, this tax proposal raises plenty of questions. Mike is asking them.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

The fate of a proposed sales tax increase to fund police and fire services in Columbia will shape the narrative from City Hall for months after the August 4th election. And a brand new City Council member from the Fourth Ward will surely change the dynamics of Columbia's elected leadership. From ComoBuzz.com, this is the Como Buzz Insider Briefing, a weekly look at the decisions, documents, and debates shaping Columbia and Boone County. I'm Mike Murphy. This week, three candidates seeking election to the vacant seat from the fourth ward on the City Council, and a proposed one cent increase to the sales tax. Columbia talks a lot about equity, but how equitable is a regressive tax that adds more burden to our citizens who can least afford it. We'll get into that in a minute. First, let's discuss this fourth ward council seat. Today we put the three candidates in Columbia's fourth ward city council race side by side. The special election is August 4th, the seat opened when Councilman Nick Foster resigned before moving to Atlanta with his family. The winner will serve the rest of Foster's term, which runs through April of 2028. We heard from all three candidates last week. They are Dave Sorrell, Ryan King, and Sharon Goway Jones. This is a ward race, but it arrives at a citywide moment. Columbia is heading into another budget cycle. Voters are being asked to consider a public safety sales tax. Utility and infrastructure needs are getting more attention. Housing affordability remains a concern. Growth continues, and residents are asking whether City Hall is keeping up with the basic work of local government. That's the backdrop for this race. The candidates are not running on identical messages. They bring different resumes and different instincts about what the council needs. Sorrell is a former City of Columbia Utilities Director. He's an engineer who spent more than 24 years working for the city. He started in public works, later worked in electric and water, and eventually became the utilities director in 2020. In that role, he oversaw electric water, sewer, stormwater, solid waste, and railroad operations. Sorrell is making experience his central argument. He says he knows the city's systems from the inside. He knows how departments work. He knows how infrastructure decisions are made. And he says Columbia needs to get back to prioritizing core services. Here is Sorell summing up why he says voters should choose him.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

Well, I think my background and experience in city government gives me a very unique perspective compared to the other candidates to be on the council because I don't have to learn all the processes. I already know how everything works, and I'm very focused on getting back to prioritizing our core services.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

That's the Sorral pitch. Experience, city operations, and core services. He talks about police, fire, and infrastructure. He says Columbia will continue to grow and the city has to plan ahead before growth strains services. His argument is not that one council member can change everything. It's that a council member who understands city government can help the council ask better questions and make better decisions. Ryan King comes at the race differently. King is an attorney who moved to Columbia in 2019. He says he has worked in social services for 14 years. He serves on Columbia's Housing and Community Development Commission, where he works with affordable housing, community investment, block grants, and home funds. He's also a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve, a board member for the Columbia Track Club, and a race director for Three Creeks Torrent. King's campaign is built around infrastructure, fiscal responsibility, and affordable housing. He says Columbia has too many important projects that have been approved, discussed, or funded, but not finished. One example he raises is electric transmission infrastructure. He says some needs were identified years ago and voters approved funding through a 2015 bond issue, but the work still has not been completed. For King, that issue is execution. A project delayed for years does not stay at the same price. Inflation changes the math, growth adds pressure, and voter-approved work that remains unfinished becomes a credibility problem for city government. King also says Columbia has been running deficits in the millions of dollars and needs a stronger commitment to balanced budgeting. On housing, he says the city should work with nonprofits, address blighted areas, consider more multifamily housing, and look at financial incentives and regulatory changes. Here is King summing up his case.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

You have to find a way to get around these things and ultimately to complete your goals. So that's that's what I'm good at, and that's why I would be great on the council.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

That's the King pitch, unfinished projects, budget discipline, housing, and follow-through. Where Sorrell emphasizes knowing the city from the inside, King is presenting himself more as a questioner. He says he would bring a discerning eye to how things are running and ask why projects are not getting finished, why costs are rising, and what practical changes could produce more housing people can afford. Then there is Sharon Goway Jones. Jones is a civil rights attorney and chair of Columbia's Planning and Zoning Commission. She joined the commission in 2020 and has served as chair since 2022. She says her legal work focuses on constitutional rights, access to courts, and voting rights. Jones is framing her campaign around planning, policy leadership, and growth. She says the council is facing big planning decisions, including Columbia Imagined, area plans, data centers, the public safety sales tax, and questions about how the city grows. Her argument is that planning is not just paperwork. It decides where housing goes, where businesses go, where industrial uses go, how neighborhoods change, and what demands will be placed on public safety and infrastructure. Jones also makes a point about how City Hall should work. She says the city council should be the policy body and city staff should be the implementing body. Here is Jones summing up what she would bring to the council.

SPEAKER_03 6:36

I really enjoy being on Planning and Zoning Commission. I've enjoyed the work that I've gotten to do with my neighbors there. I really want to continue that kind of collaborative effort on City Council to keep making Columbia a city that makes the top of the list every time. We are a great place to live, and I want to keep us there.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

That is the Jones pitch, planning experience, collaboration, and growth policy. She says she does not believe there is a schism between council and staff, but she does say there is tension over some major issues. Her point is the council should give clearer policy direction so staff is not bringing forward proposals that become take it or leave it choices. So that is the race. Sorrell is asking voters to value long experience inside city government and a focus on core services. King is asking voters to focus on infrastructure, follow-through, fiscal discipline, and affordable housing. Jones is asking voters to focus on planning, growth, and the council's role in setting policy. The winner will be one vote on a seven-member council. No single council member can fix utilities, public safety, housing, or city finances alone. But one council member can shape questions, push priorities, build coalitions, and influence how the city responds to pressure. Fourth ward voters will decide August 4th which of these three candidates they want at the council table. Next, let's take on Proposition 1 on the August 4th ballot, which asks Columbia citizens to increase the sales tax by one cent to fund police and fire services. Columbia voters will decide August 4th whether to approve a one cent sales tax increase for public safety. City officials are asking for Proposition 1. They say it would raise about $38 million a year for police and fire, including officers, firefighters, facilities, vehicles, equipment, and pension costs. It's not a small request. It would raise Columbia's sales tax rate and place the city fourth in Missouri for sales tax rates, not counting special taxing districts. So the question is direct: should Columbia pay more to expand and stabilize public safety? The city made its case recently during an election forum hosted by the Mid-Missouri Board of Realtors. The presenters were Police Chief Jill Schlute, Fire Chief Brian Schaefer, and Councilmember Jackie Sample. All three argued the tax is needed because Columbia has grown faster than its public safety staffing facilities and long-term funding. The measure is framed as a dedicated public safety sales tax. Schaefer said that means police and fire, not other departments. Schluti said the money would go into a restricted account, similar to Columbia's parks sales tax, and could only be used for the purpose voters approve. That matters because one concern with any new tax is whether the money simply replaces money already being spent. Schluti said the proposal is not about supplanting current police and fire budgets. Under the plan, the city would add 50 police officers and 42 firefighters. Officials said those jobs would likely be added over four years because the departments cannot realistically hire and train that many employees in one year. Schluti said the proposal grew from public concern over safety in streets. In a 2025 survey, she said 69% of respondents said Columbia did not have enough police officers and firefighters. She said 55% supported pursuing another tax to increase public safety staffing. The police chief also pointed to Columbia's growth. Since 2000, she said the city has added 49,000 residents and expanded by 15 square miles. During that same period, Columbia's ratio of police officers to residents has fallen. Schluti said Columbia has added just over two police officer positions a year since 2000. She said that does not keep pace because it takes four officers to cover one round-the-clock position. Schaefer said fire staffing is measured differently. The department looks at outcomes and response standards. How many firefighters are needed to handle fires, hazardous materials calls, rescues, and medical emergencies safely and quickly. He said the department needs 42 more firefighters across the city. His broader argument was that Columbia is no longer a small town. It's an urban environment with urban public safety demands. The facilities piece is also large. Schlute said the police department's current building is about 93 years old and needs replacement. The city has identified the former IBM building on Lamone Industrial Boulevard as the site for a new police headquarters. She said using an existing city-owned building would save money compared with building from scratch. Schaefer said fire stations 2, 4, and 6 need renovation. The plan also includes two new fire stations as Columbia continues to grow. The schedule stretches for years. Fire Station 4 would be renovated in 2027. Fire Station 6 would follow in 2028. The police headquarters project would move towards completion around 2029. Fire Station 2 would also be renovated in 2029. Two new fire stations would be planned for 2032 and 2035. Another major piece is pensions. Schlute said the combined unfunded actuarial acute liability for the police and fire pension systems was about $149 million as of September. In plain English, that's a gap between what the pension systems are expected to owe and the assets set aside to cover those obligations. The city is also trying to take pressure off the general fund. Schlute said public safety already makes up 48.3% of the general fund spending. Schaefer said the city cannot solve an ongoing personnel problem with one-time money. Samples said the council reviewed a half cent sales tax, a three-quarter cent sales tax, a full one cent sales tax, and a property tax option. She said none met the full need. Officials said 32% of Columbia's sales tax receipts come from people who live ten miles or more outside the city and come into Columbia to spend money. Local residents pay the remaining 68%. If voters say no, Sample said the city would face harder budget decisions and would have to look closely at what the city can keep paying for. Sample also addressed the argument that the city should find the money elsewhere. She said the budget is public and city officials have not found $38 million to redirect. Proposition one is on the August 4th ballot. Voters will decide whether Columbia creates a dedicated one cent public safety sales tax for police and fire or whether the city must handle those needs with existing revenues and future budget decisions. That's where this stands, but Columbia has also built a public language around the concept of equity. It shows up in city plans, public statements, and strategic goals. But the test of equity is not whether the word appears in a document, the test comes when the bill comes due. And that is the public question now facing Columbia. The city is asking residents to absorb a growing stack of cost, utility rate increases, public safety needs, pension pressures, capital demands, staffing growth, delayed infrastructure planning, and now a proposed one cent sales tax increase for public safety. Each item can be explained. Police costs money, fire protection costs money, utilities costs money, and deferred maintenance has to be paid for. But that is only one side of the story. The other side is who pays, how much they pay, and whether city government understands the difference between a system-wide average and the actual burden on a household. A one cent sales tax for public safety is easy to explain politically. Public safety is a core service. But sales taxes are regressive. They take a larger share of income from lower income households than from higher income households. The same tax is not the same burden. That matters when the tax shows up in ordinary purchases families make, whether they are comfortable or counting dollars until payday. The public safety need may be real, but the financing choice still has consequences. If Columbia is going to claim equity as a governing value, it should answer basic questions before asking voters for a regressive tax. Who pays the largest share of income? How does the tax interact with rising utility rates, rent, insurance, and groceries? Which residents are already most exposed? What alternatives are considered? And what mitigation is possible? And after the tax is in place, how will the city know whether the burden landed hardest on the people least able to pay? Those are not ideological questions. Those are competent government questions. The same issue applies to utility rates. A 10% increase sounds simple when presented as a system-wide percentage, but a system-wide average is not a household impact study. It does not land the same way in a newer efficient house as it does in an older house with weak insulation and old windows. It does not land the same way on a retiree on a fixed income as it does on a household with room in the budget. Averages can hide as much as they reveal. The bigger civic question is whether Columbia has the tools to understand energy burden by neighborhood housing condition and household capacity to pay. The city should know where older housing stock, higher utility costs, and lower household incomes overlap. It should know where rate increases will bite the hardest. If it does not know, it should say so. If it does know, it should show the public. The accountability issue is not whether city leaders have bad motives. A city does not have to set out to hurt lower income residents, seniors, renters, black residents, or people living in older homes to produce a policy that burdens them more heavily. It only has to keep making decisions without measuring who pays the price. That is the danger of governing by averages. Inside City Hall, an average rate impact might look reasonable. A projected tax yield may look practical. A department need may look urgent. But outside of City Hall, residents experience those choices together. The electric bill does not arrive in a separate life from the grocery bill. A sales tax increase does not arrive apart from insurance, rent, medical costs, and other pressures on a household budget. For many residents, affordability is equity. The ability to pay the electric bill is equity. The ability to absorb a sales tax is equity. And the ability to stay in an older home without being punished by utility policy is equity. The ability to understand a public decision before it is functionally settled is equity. That is the version of equity that should matter even to people who are skeptical of the word. It's not about special treatment. It's about whether government knows what its decisions do to people with less room for error. The next step is whether Columbia moves forward with a one cent public safety sales tax and how clearly city officials explain the burden before voters decide. The larger question is whether council members demand better analysis before approving major fiscal decisions. That could mean equity impact statements, neighborhood level affordability analysis, housing condition data tied to utility burden, and staff reports that show alternatives and trade-offs. Columbia may decide the public safety need is urgent. It may decide a sales tax is the only viable tool. It may decide the services funded by the tax are worth the cost. But none of that excuses the city from explaining who carries the burden. That is the minimum standard for a city that says equity matters. The question now is not whether Columbia can describe its needs, it can. The question is whether City Hawkins showed that it understands the people being asked to pay for them. For Como Buzz.com, I'm Mike Murphy. Thanks for listening. I'll see you next week.