Jefferson City has a severe budget crisis and the Mayor has asked you to help the budget director in preparing a report outlining a 5% cut to the city’s budget. Jefferson City has 200,000 permanent residents and an additional 25,000 people come to the city for work each day. They have a budget of $200 million dollars and all of the “expected” departments (administration, communications, budget, public safety, economic and housing development, engineering, public works, recreation, water & sewer utilities, city clerk, municipal court, etc). The city also has a museum, a large public theater and provides subsidies for a minor league baseball team as well as a golf course. The city currently has $30 million dollars in its rainy day fund, but the Mayor has advised you not to consider it as an option. You cannot raise funds, only trim the budget.

Based on what you have learned and what you know about city functions, which part of the budget would you examine first? Why?

Which items would you cut? Why? Provide your alternatives to the mayor.