Columbus, Indiana Common Council Meeting — September 15, 2026

The Common Council of Columbus, Indiana, met on the evening of Monday, September 15, 2026. The meeting opened with an invocation by Deacon John Cord of St. Bartholomew, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The council approved the minutes of the September 1 meeting, passed three salary ordinances on second reading for the 2027 payroll calendar year, and adopted the city's annual budget after extended discussion. Public comment periods were held for each agenda item.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the September 1, 2026 council meeting were approved without stated objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered during the public comment periods for the three salary ordinances.
• One resident spoke during the closing public comment period, expressing support for the Columbus People Trail and describing it as "a wonderful asset of our community" that they use for walking and bicycling. The resident said they had been told that "more comments from the public would help," appreciated the efforts of the group working on trail issues, and noted that it is harder for the council to represent residents when people do not speak up.

Discussion Items

Salary Ordinances — Second Reading (2027 Payroll Calendar Year) The presenter noted these were the same ordinances considered at the previous meeting.

• Police sworn personnel salaries and wages for the 2027 payroll calendar year, as required by Indiana Code 36-4-7-3. Passed on second reading.
• Salaries of elected common council members for the 2027 payroll calendar year. Passed on second reading.
• Salaries of the elected mayor and clerk for the 2027 payroll calendar year. Passed on second reading.
• Council discussion confirmed that remote participants could vote on salary items but not on the budget or tax-rate items.
• Council members noted the 3.5% salary increase tied to the June CPI, as the council had requested.

Annual Budget Adoption The Mayor presented the budget, thanking council members and emphasizing that employee benefits (health insurance and life insurance) are priorities and that preparing and passing the budget is "the most important thing that we do for our residents and businesses." Key details from the presentation and discussion:

• Property taxes and local income tax are the two primary revenue sources; local income tax is projected to increase 9.1% over the current year.
• The county is required to hold a meeting among the municipalities on the local income tax changes; no decisions need to be made until 2028.
• The budget includes a request for two additional full-time personnel positions and a new section not present in earlier budget documents.
• The number ultimately passed will not be final and is expected to change due to state action "in a few weeks."
• A council member cited a stormwater appropriation of roughly $600,000 and a street depreciation shortfall "somewhere around $8 million."
• Note: the transcript does not explicitly label the budget year being adopted; the salary ordinances are explicitly for the 2027 payroll calendar year, and one council member stated that if the budget were voted down, the 2026 budget numbers would remain in effect.

Council Deliberations on the Budget

• A council member voting yes said, "tonight I will vote yes on this budget, but that doesn't mean I support every single individual line item." They praised the administration's work, the transparency of the process, and the use of historical averages, and urged continued collaboration and data-driven decisions connecting today's spending to the city's long-term needs.
• A council member voting no said they could not support the budget because the council had not been "sufficiently able to give input," including the absence of a scheduled Friday discussion. They noted the council is the approving body and accountable for what line items are, while appreciating department heads for attending meetings.
• A newer council member voting yes said this was only their second budget, that a colleague had helped them "not vote in the dark," and that the city "needs to" pass a budget.
• A council member urged the council not to move the goalposts after the administration had met the council's 65% reserve target, and encouraged the council to hold itself to the same standard it applies to staff, noting that employees will remember how they are treated "when we're all on camera."
• Another council member reflected on having cast four to five previous budget no votes, explaining that Indiana's process requires the city to vote before exact tax rates are known.
• The Mayor, who said he cannot vote on the budget, offered closing remarks: the council and administration are "all on the same team," with the shared goal of a budget that takes care of the city's people.

People Trail and Parks Working Group

• After the resident's comments, a council member reported that the working group studying trails and parks is making good progress. The group reviewed the ordinances and concluded that "drastic" and more comprehensive changes are needed beyond the park ordinance, possibly including the traffic ordinance or the people trail/sidewalk ordinance. No consultants are being used.
• Another council member suggested integrating low-cost mechanical barriers into trails during routine maintenance, similar to the "mechanical barriers" on downtown sidewalks that slow fast riding.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the minutes of the September 1, 2026 meeting.
• Passed on second reading the three 2027 salary ordinances: sworn police personnel; common council members; mayor and clerk.
• Adopted the city's annual budget. At least one council member voted no — one member stated, "I am voting no tonight on the budget" — but the final roll-call tally is not recorded in the transcript.