Quote:
Originally Posted by Bownesian
This is not true, except in the narrowest of terms of talking about how revenues are proportionally raised. The amount to be raised could be dropped (cutting expenses), or targeted measures like Nenshi's proposed rebate measure (returning excess taxes) are two ways the increase in the tax bill could be mitigated.
Right wingers like myself would argue that expenses can be cut from the budget - capital expenditures could be postponed, policies that lead to the Blue Ring that could have been amended, hiring freezes, wage rollbacks, etc. Others would say that these things should not be done in a downturn, which is a fine opinion, but there is not Nothing That Can be Done.
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To me there a few approaches to reducing costs and changing services. .
1. You can simply cut budgets and associated staff and services. Doesn't in any way systematically improve how departments go about their business.
2. You can at budget time set a very clear, tight parameter around spending and level of service and spend some time figuring out how to do it while not really impacting services. Approach staffing levels through things like attrition, for example.
3. Between budgets do a deep dive into each department. Examine closely if the City needs to be doing a specific service at all. If yes, examine how to do it both better and more efficiently. Find systemic improvements to service delivery, look for efficiency across silos, reduce redundancy, etc.
The first is the easiest and most politically satisfying for many. A slash and burn approach. Unfortunately it doesn't achieve any actual improvement, just reduction.
The second happens every budget cycle at the City. Every cycle, every year business units must identify and implement basic efficiencies.
The third is the least politically expedient, the least sexy, but by far the most important. The City (led by the mayor) implemented a "Zero Based Review" process. It's a department by department, function by function in depth audit and reform. It's results are really starting to bear fruit. It's taken some time to set up the program and get it running well, but they have gotten through about 8 or 9 of the City's ~38 departments. It's perhaps the most important thing happening at the City and is what will enable real service delivery improvement, done far more efficiently.