Ryan King
For Columbia City Council
Ryan King is a social services attorney and a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is dedicated to public service and leadership in Columbia. Ryan serves on Columbia’s Affordable Housing and Community Development Commission and is a board member of the Columbia Track Club. As a commission member, he reviews and helps allocate funding for affordable housing and community development projects. As a Columbia Track Club board member, he directs a nonprofit trail race that raises money for youth programs.
Ryan is running for Columbia City Council Ward 4 to help ensure Columbia remains a safe, affordable, and thriving community for current and future generations.
Ryan’s priorities include:
• Fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets
• Affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents
• Completing critical infrastructure projects
• Supporting parks, trails, and community wellness
• Addressing homelessness through housing and supportive services
• Responsible growth that strengthens neighborhoods and quality of life
Vision & Values
Guided by a commitment to service, Ryan values collaboration, accountability, and listening to residents when making decisions that affect the community. He supports responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, expanding affordable housing opportunities, and completing critical infrastructure projects that keep Columbia safe, reliable, and prepared for future growth. Ryan supports maintaining and expanding Columbia’s parks and trail system to promote healthy lifestyles, strengthen neighborhoods, and enhance quality of life throughout the community. Ryan believes addressing homelessness requires a compassionate and effective approach that connects people with housing, mental health resources, employment assistance, and other supportive services. He is committed to practical solutions that strengthen neighborhoods and improve quality of life throughout Columbia.
Key Issues
Effective and Actionable
Budget & fiscal responsibility
Columbia faces a projected budget deficit of nearly $3 million. While this challenge did not arise overnight, it is clear that city leadership must make fiscal responsibility a higher priority.
Balancing the budget will require difficult decisions, but those decisions should not come at the expense of essential city services or the employees who provide them. Police officers, firefighters, utility workers, public works employees, and other city staff should not bear the burden of years of financial pressures.
As your council member, I will work to restore fiscal discipline, improve oversight of city spending, and ensure taxpayer dollars are used more effectively and efficiently. We can address our budget challenges while maintaining the services residents depend on and preserving the workforce that keeps our city running.
Affordable housing
Columbia needs more affordable housing so that people of all income levels can afford to live and work here. In addition to supporting the important work of organizations such as Columbia Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity, and other local nonprofits, the city should pursue policies that encourage the construction of new affordable housing. These policies could include targeted financial incentives such as tax abatements and fee reductions, as well as regulatory reforms that make it easier to build multi-family housing. By increasing the housing supply, we can help keep Columbia affordable while supporting continued economic growth.
Infrastructure & Utilities
Columbia is growing, and our infrastructure must keep pace. Critical projects (including electrical transmission lines approved by voters and a much-needed water tower) have faced significant delays. If we want to support growth, attract new businesses, and maintain reliable city services, we must make these projects a priority.
That means investing in our public facilities and utilities while making the difficult decisions necessary to complete long-delayed projects. Columbia cannot afford to continue to delay these projects, and its residents should not need to worry about the integrity of basic services like electricity and water. We need a city government that follows through on its commitments and delivers the infrastructure our residents and businesses depend upon.
Public safety
Columbia is safer than many other large cities in Missouri, and violent crime has generally trended downward in recent years. However, any crime that affects our residents, businesses, and neighborhoods is one crime too many. While progress has been made in reducing violent crime, property crimes continue to be a significant concern.
As the city continues to grow, we should maintain adequate police staffing levels, support proactive neighborhood policing, and strengthen partnerships between law enforcement and the community. At the same time, we must address the factors that contribute to repeat offending so that we can reduce crime over the long term while keeping our neighborhoods safe.
Community support and housing instability
Recent reports show that the unhoused population in Columbia continues to increase. The Opportunity Campus is an important community asset, and I support its mission. However, homelessness is a complex issue that cannot be solved simply by building more facilities.
As an attorney who has worked in social services for more than fourteen years, I have seen firsthand the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness. Many lack a stable mailing address, reliable transportation, or consistent means of communication, making it difficult to navigate the process of obtaining housing, healthcare, disability benefits, and other assistance.
I want to strengthen partnerships between the city, nonprofits, and service providers to help connect people with the state and federal benefits for which they may already qualify. By improving coordination and increasing outreach, we can help more people access existing resources and move toward stable housing. This practical approach builds on the work already being done in our community while minimizing additional costs to local taxpayers.
Parks, trails, and green space
Columbia is a beautiful city with outstanding parks, trails, and natural areas that contribute to our quality of life. As an avid runner and a board member and race director for the Columbia Track Club, I understand the importance of outdoor recreation for both individual health and community wellbeing.
I support continued investment in our parks and trail network, with the goal of creating a connected system that allows residents to walk, run, or bike safely throughout the city. I also believe every resident should have convenient access to quality green space close to home. Protecting and expanding these recreational opportunities promotes physical health, mental well-being, environmental stewardship, and economic growth by making Columbia an even more attractive place to live and work. The city currently benefits from wonderful community organizations that actively care for our trails and natural communities and I recognize and support community-based stewardship.
Economic opportunity & workforce
Columbia has some of the most highly educated and skilled residents in the nation. We should leverage that advantage to attract new businesses and employers that provide high-quality jobs and strengthen our local economy.
By expanding career opportunities, we can encourage more graduates from our colleges and universities to build their careers here following graduation. Retaining that talent will, in turn, help drive economic growth and ensure Columbia remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
The Leadership Columbia Needs Right Now
Get Involved
Ryan welcomes volunteers and would love to have you join the campaign team. Whether it’s walking neighborhoods and knocking on doors, delivering signs, handing out flyers, or helping spread the word online, every effort helps. Together, we can build a stronger future for Ward 4 and Columbia.
Don't Forget to Vote!
The 2026 Missouri Primary is on August 4th!
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