Columbia City Council is holding off on a decision about a proposed one percent sales tax to fund police and fire services.
The vote was tabled until May 18 after a public hearing that drew mostly negative feedback.
City leaders say the tax would help pay for equipment, staffing, and facilities, including a new Fire Station 5 in northeast Columbia.
The current station, built in 1971, has ongoing structural issues and lacks space for modern operations.
Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says staffing hasn’t kept pace with the city’s growth, and replacing the station would cost less than renovating it.
If approved by voters, the tax would add about one dollar to every one hundred dollars spent and generate an estimated 38 million dollars annually.