The Richland County FY 2026 Budget Public Hearing took place Thursday, May 22. All council members were present except Councilman Jason Branham. The public hearing was held to receive input from Richland County residents. The agenda included the FY26 budget ordinance and the ordinance to levy the proposed property taxes to fund the FY26 budget.
Representatives of non-profit organizations that receive funding from the Richland County budget spoke to express their gratitude, remind council members of the input their organizations have in Richland County, and ask that their funding be continued or not decreased.
Some of these organizations included Midlands Technical College, the Columbia International Festival, Columbia Ballet Theatre Education Outreach Program, Columbia Museum of Art, Richland County Library, Varna Instrumental Music Academy, and the Richland County Judicial Center.
Organizations expressing concern for their budgets included South Carolina Ballet,
Midlands Housing Alliance/Transitions, and Senior Resources.
Andrew Boozer, executive director of Senior Resources said, “We are extremely concerned that the council’s investment in the older adults is not meeting the needs of older adults in this community. As you know Richland County’s senior population is booming, and it is going to continue to do so in the coming years. The demand for services is increasing, but the resources are not.”
He noted the county’s Community Impact Grants Committee chose to fund only a portion of the amount requested by Senior Resources. He asked that Richland County Council work with Senior Resources to find a long-term strategy to help seniors in Richland County.
Several individuals spoke against the budget and asked that county taxpayer funds not be used to support organizations that are chosen by the county and could be funded from other sources. They also spoke against the increase in the FY26 budget from the FY25 budget. One individual asked for more transparency from Richland County so Richland County residents could access the details of the budget without attending a council meeting.
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