Assignment task:
This class is Government & Nonprofit Budgeting
Dear Fiscal Analyst:
The County Budget Director informed us this morning that the state has reduced funding to the County by 10 percent. As a result, each Department must recommend a plan for reducing its budget by 10 percent.
Therefore, I would like each Division fiscal staff person to develop suggestions for where to cut the Department budget. Thank you for your diligence and hard work in these tough economic times, Please contact me with any questions about this task.
Your Faithful Director
Before you begin this assignment, read your professor's Announcement and the Scenario above.
In Division Operating Budget, you developed a Divisional Operating Request, which included a Base Budget Request for your division and an explanatory memo for your Division Chief. You may want to refer to these documents as you proceed with this assignment.
This assignment represents a realistic situation and requires you to make the hard decisions that public administration professionals commonly face. After reading the message above from the Department Director, review the Division Budget Requests approved by the Department Director (posted by your professor). Based on your knowledge about and analysis of the Division Budget Request, formulate recommendations for how you would make the required budget cuts.
You may make any recommendations you like, but you must be able to explain why your recommendations make sense from a practical, political, and management perspective. There is no "correct" answer or best option, but you must be able to explain and justify your recommendations as politically feasible, practical, and legal.
Answer these questions below
All Division fiscal staff (students) are to discuss their ideas. You may make any recommendations you like for reductions, but be sure they are legal, practical, and can be justified to the County Administrator and Council.
Explain how you would make the required cuts: Specify the cuts you would recommend - be specific in line item and amount. The sum of your recommendations must meet or exceed the required total cut for the Department.
Justify your recommendations: You must be able to support your recommendation by providing a rationale for why you think your recommendations should be supported by your colleagues in the department. This must include explaining the practical and political implications of the cuts you are recommending.