The CoMoBUZ Insider Briefing

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike reports on the sale of properties off Broadway near Providence Rd. at the west entrance of downtown Columbia and the possible demolition of the Katy Station to make room for a student housing complex; the Columbia city council’s discussion about buying home security systems for city council members; and an Airbnb owner’s failure to win over the city planning and zoning commission because it previously operated without the proper licensing.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike reviews the police and fire spending in the city of Columbia’s fiscal year 2027 budget to set the baseline for future year contributions from the general fund as the city begins to collect revenues from it’s new public safety sales tax; reports on a discussion from this week’s city council meeting concerning the personal security of council members; and has details of the city’s plans to schedule a public hearing on the city’s Flock camera system in front of a contract renewal coming up this spring.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike weighs in on the erupting phenomenon of AI videos on social media mocking Mayor Barbara Buffaloe in Columbia; reports on Boone Health’s disappointing year to date financials; and has an update on the city of Columbia’s short term rental ordinances.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike reports on the downtown Community Improvement District’s request to the Columbia city council to consider an “urban camping” ordinance to help manage homeless residents in the downtown area; has an update on how Boone County distributed more than $12 million from its children’s services fund; and the story of a Harrisburg grandma facing fines or even jail for cooking breakfast for her friends and neighbors. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike has more on the Boone Health lawsuit against two of its former cardiologists who have opened a clinic in Columbia; reports on another dustup between MU President Mun Choi and the city council over policing downtown Columbia, and has an update on the first month of operations at Columbia’s new “Opportunity Campus” homeless services center. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike covers the new Boone Health lawsuit against two of its former cardiologists who have opened a clinic in Columbia; reviews the Aug. 4 election results;  and reports on another dustup between MU President Mun Choi and the city council over policing downtown Columbia.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike reviews the Aug. 4 election in Columbia, which includes the Proposition 1 sales tax increase, a race for the Ward 4 seat on the city council and a Democrat primary for associate circuit judge; has an update on a hearing coming Monday in the Stephanie Smarr court case, which is being followed closely by disability rights advocates and is now in its four year; and a report on the city of Columbia’s response filed this week to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of its revenue share agreement with American Airlines. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike tells you why voters passing the City of Columbia’s Proposition 1 on the Aug. 4 ballot may not be such a bad thing; has updates on more than $13 million in utility rate increases; and explains what’s behind Columbia’s new strategic plan on homelessness.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike takes a hard look at the City of Columbia’s Proposition 1 on the Aug. 4 ballot that asks residents to pony up an additional one cent sales tax to fund police and fire services; has an early review of the city’s FY 2027 budget; and has the latest on the Downtown Community Improvement District’s request for an “urban camping ordinance.” 

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.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike takes a look at how Columbia’s renewable-energy policy is running up against the harder reality of an electric utility that has to solve issues with capacity, reliability and cost; reviews the Goldwater Institute’s lawsuit against the City of Columbia over the city’s revenue guarantee with American Airlines, discusses the Columbia Police Department’s annual surveillance technology report and the city loosening standards on Auxiliary Dwelling Units.  

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike takes a look at how the City of Columbia spent a $3.2 million more to purchase energy from renewable sources than it would have had to pay just buying from the market, shares news of a massive new hi-rise student housing complex planned near the MU campus, has an update on the I-70 work, and introduces the three candidates for the open fourth ward seat on the city council.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike shares some opinion about the city of Columbia’s failure to engage with the public before walking it into the need for a one-cent sales tax increase, explains Amendment 5, the proposal to phase out the state income tax, and reviews the Columbia Police Department’s newly-issued 2025 report.  

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike takes a long look at the City of Columbia’s financial condition and how recent spending growth, utility indecision, public safety needs, pension obligations and management decisions have converged into a tax proposal and utility rate increases that are reshaping the cost of living in Columbia.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike explains the dustup between Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon and Secretary of State Denny Hoskins over Missouri’s newly-drawn congressional maps and the Aug. 4 primary election, Columbia utility advisors expressing concern about the quality of the city of Columbia’s forecasts for upcoming utility rates, previews the three -candidate race for a Boone County associate circuit judge seat, and shares a visit to Cooper’s Landing where Richard King is getting ready to open his new facilities on the iconic site.  

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike explains the threat of a lawsuit against the City of Columbia over the constitutionality of its revenue guarantees to airlines, takes a look at the city’s planned $2.57 million North Village Park, bring you up-to-date on I-70 construction, discusses the big rate increases the city has planned for trash pickup and has a final update on the city’s plan Monday to ask voters for a one-cent sales tax increase meeting Monday.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike explains the Columbia city council’s two-week delay on a vote to place a sales tax increase on the August ballot; has an update on Boone Health’s new cardiology clinic, has the latest details on Columbia Public Schools’ lawsuit over Boone County charter schools, explains the city council’s unusual procedure for setting a public hearing on binding arbitration for employees, and introduces The Retreat at Columbia, a new 194-unit multi-family development moving through city hall.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike gets to the bottom of the story about the break-up between Boone Health and the Missouri Heart Center, has an update on Columbia Public Schools lawsuit to stop public charter schools in Boone County, the latest on the demolition of the Providence Rd. bridge over I-70, and a looming crisis over load capacity at the City of Columbia’s electric utility.  

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Mike discusses the city of Columbia’s use of revenue guarantees to airlines at Columbia Regional Airport, the city’s planned new one-cent sales tax for public safety, façade panels falling off a downtown student high rise, the electric utility trying to recover costs related to power purchases, and the Boone Health breakup with its cardiologists. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week, Columbia Regional Airport is growing much faster than expected, and that’s forcing city leaders to confront new costs, new staffing demands and bigger infrastructure demands. Mike talked with airport Manager Mike Parks after a city council work session to discuss the airport. Also this week, an update on the Boone Health breakup with Missouri Heart Center, MoDOT construction disruption in Columbia, and the city’s board of adjustment denying a height variance for a hotel in northeast Columbia. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week it's another look at the break up at Boone Health between the hospital and its cardiologists with new documents and details, a review of the race for the Ward 5 seat on the Columbia city council and a conversation with the winning candidate, Christina Hartman, Boone County returning $1 million in marijuana sales tax to the state, the Columbia City Council’s move to crack down on problem landlords, the planned new safety ambassadors downtown, and the chaos about to ensue  as MoDOT starts ramping up I-70 construction this weekend.

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week it's an analysis of the break up at Boone Health between the hospital and its cardiologists, a final look at the race for the Ward 5 seat on the Columbia city council, the Columbia Public School's win in the long-running Wayne Sells/Rock Bridge naming rights lawsuit, a City of Columbia report on outsourcing, and Monday's Columbia City council meeting where the council will address data centers, airport projects and downtown security ambassadors. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week it's an update on the Ward 5 Columbia City Council election, including clips from interviews with both candidates, Boone County's proposed new building code changes, the lawsuit brought against Boone County by a former court marshal, and Jim Windsor's argument that the city is unfairly covering general fund expenses with transfers from the utilities departments. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week it's an update on Columbia's $500,000 plan to add private security "ambassadors" downtown, the city's struggle to regulate Airbnbs, a planned definition of data centers, the city's sleight of hand on disclosing its $1.5 million revenue guarantee to American Airlines, upcoming construction on Forum Blvd. and the proposed additional one cent sales tax. 

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week it's an update on the city's six upcoming airport projects totaling $13 million, City Manager De'Carlon Seewood's communications overhaul, more I-70 construction disruption in the works, the city's unsigned deal with American Airlines and a proposed re-write on the city's new restrictions on short term rentals.  

Mike's quick, weekly no-nonsense look at civic affairs in Columbia and Boone County, Missouri. This week it's an update on the senior citizen tax freeze, a new price tag on the city's McKinney Building, I-70 construction, a financial report from Boone Health, questions about the city's revenue guarantee to American Airlines and the city manager's plans for a new "Communications Department."